


The Reunion Job

by lasairfhiona



Category: Leverage, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Compliant, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, M/M, Marvel Universe Big Bang 2014, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 18:45:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2592290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A phone call from an old friend and lover, Eliot Spencer, gives Clint news that shocks him, Phil Coulson is alive.</p><p>Confronting his former lover, Clint has to decide if he can forgive Phil for the lies and deception and rekindle their relationship or will he lose Phil forever to Eliot? That is until Eliot comes up with a third option…</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reunion Job

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my fabulous artist Cashay. Go check out her art [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2586353)
> 
> and thanks to my beta readers Res and sharpiesgal!

Clint ran his fingers through his short dark blond hair, spiking it up even more as he stood at the window of his apartment in Stark Tower, looking down over Manhattan. Tapping the cool glass, he thought about the last month and everything that happened. If he thought the events after New York had been surreal, this almost seemed more so. The agency he'd spent the better part of his life working for was in ruins, infiltrated by an old enemy thought long gone.

The one thing about going to work for Tony Stark as his personal security after the Extremis incident was that he was clear of the whole SHIELD, Hydra arrest warrants by the military and General Talbot. He'd been through so many psych evaluations after Loki and Phil's death that no one doubted his loyalties to SHIELD and now with his allegiance to Stark Industries he was virtually untouchable at least from the legal authorities, who knew what the Hydra goons would think. He wished he could say the same for some of his friends; too many good people had already been targeted and killed. And Sitwell's betrayal hurt almost as bad as Phil (and Fury's) death.

Thinking about Phil and his death was never healthy for him and he usually ended up in the bottom of a bottle if he went too far down that road. Tony and Pepper too, had pulled him out of that bottle more than once, put him back together with a little bit of tough love and a whole lot of comfort. And in his own way, he loved them for it. It was almost cliché but he was glad the phone rang to interrupt the road his thoughts were headed down. Looking at the Stark caliber caller ID, he didn't recognize the name of the pub in Portland. In fact, the only person he knew in Portland was Phil's cellist friend. "Hello?" 

"You bastard. You knew what he meant to me why didn't you tell me Phil was alive?"

Clint sighed when he heard his old friend's voice. "Because he isn't Eliot."

"Then explain to me why I'm watching him on the security cameras at my brewpub? And from what the staff tells me, he's been a regular the last couple weeks."

"Eliot, this is not the time to mess with me," Clint warned.

"I'm not fucking with you. I wouldn't do that to you. I'm standing here watching him eat a piece of pie."

He knew by Eliot's tone of voice his old friend was telling the truth. Phil was alive. He felt like he'd been run over by Hulk as the words sank in. Sliding down the wall He'd been leaning against, he tried to say something to Eliot but the words wouldn't come.

"Clint?"

Hearing Eliot's concern he found his words, biting back the gut wrenching pain he felt stabbing him at the thought Phil was alive and had let him continue to think he was dead. "Yeah."

"You seriously didn't know?"

"No. I was just out to his grave yesterday."

"Shit. I'm sorry to break it to you like this."

"Yeah. I know," he said. As the pain gave way to anger he stood back up. "Fucking Fury," Clint growled. "Don't let him leave Portland. I'm on a private jet out of New York and will be there tonight," he added, hanging up on Eliot, before his old friend could say anything else.

"Son of a bitch," Clint growled and threw the phone against the nearest wall, watching it shatter. How the hell could they do this to him? If that one eyed bastard wasn't already dead he'd kill him himself. And then there was Phil and his part in this deception. He wasn't sure what hurt more, that Phil had been dead or that Phil purposely lied and kept up Fury's deception. He could deal with his anger toward Fury; he didn't know how to compartmentalize his feeling about Phil.

"Looks like I'll be replacing yet another phone for you."

"Looks like it," Clint stated, not even turning to look at Tony who'd appeared out of no where. Or at least that is what it seemed like.

"What's wrong? You only get destructive when Fury is involved."

"He is. He fucking lied to us. Coulson is alive," Clint declared, punching the wall for good measure before turning and finally looking at Tony, while shaking his now semi sore hand, as he stood in the doorway to his bedroom.

"Clint we saw the video feed. We saw Loki kill him. We buried him."

"And someone I trust as much as I trusted Phil. Someone who Coulson meant as much to as he meant to me, was watching a video feed of him in a bar in Portland while I spoke to him," he said through clenched teeth.

"I'll call ahead. Get the plane prepped. And we'll be off in an hour."

Clint sighed as Tony's arms wrapped around him. There was nothing more he wanted to do than sink in the comfort those arms offered. There had been so many nights when those arms had kept him from falling apart or doing something colossally stupid. Pushing back, he ran the back of his knuckles across Tony's cheek and giving the neatly trimmed goatee a slight tug with a smile. "Thank you. But Tony. I have to go alone. If it is really Coulson, Eliot and I need to confront him alone first then everyone can have their shot." He saw Tony's raise eyebrow at the mention of Eliot's name and knew there would be questions.

"You'll tell me about Eliot?"

"I promise," Clint said leaning back into Tony's embrace, not sure how he can tell Tony about Eliot Spencer. It would take volumes and hours to tell about the man who has known Phil lounger and loved him as much as he did. 

"Go. Call me when you land."

Clint nodded and gave Tony a kiss on the cheek before pulling out of his arms in order to pack his bag. Walking into his closet, he noticed his dry cleaning was back and as usual Pepper had slipped a few new items into it. Shaking his head, he stood there and looked at his clothes. He had absolutely no idea what to pack. What did you wear to confront your supposedly dead but suddenly alive lover? He wasn't the same man either Eliot or Phil knew thanks to Tony and Pepper and as much as he missed that period of time in his life, who he was now, post New York, he was a better person. And thanks to Pepper a better dressed one too. 

"Christ. When did you become such a girl? Go pack your underwear, and you better be wearing underwear when you are there, and I'll deal with this."

"Tony...."

Tony waved him off saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know. Don't go overboard. Keep it you. Keep it casual."

Clint nodded and went to pack his toiletries and with a smile threw several pair of boxer briefs into his worn leather travel bag. Grabbing his Kimber 1911, several extra magazines and an extra box of shells, he loaded those into the specially designed bag Tony was about to fill along with the underwear Tony insisted he wear and his always packed and ready shaving kit.

He turned and saw Pepper leaning against the doorframe watching them. He never heard the willowy red head's arrival. He figured while he was standing indecisive in his closet, Tony must have either called or texted her to come down as well. He honestly had no idea what he'd do without these two especially in situations like this. 

"I wish you'd let us come with you," she told him, coming over to give him a hug. "We could just be there and stay away until you need us."

"Thanks Pepper. But I don't know how long I will be gone, and I'm sure there is going to be a lot of baggage drug out." 

"That's why we should be there," Pepper insisted.

"Don't push Pep," Tony said knowing Pepper was right but not wanting to spook Clint, as he came out and laid the clothes he carried into the suitcase.

"I really appreciate the sentiment guys. And part of me wishes you were going to be there. But if this really is Phil, I need to do it alone," he said as he was closing the case.

"Ready?"

"Yeah..." He said looking around, he had his nagging feeling things wouldn't be the same when he came back and he wasn't sure he liked that. Tony and Pepper had taken care of him when no one else wanted to or could, including Natasha.

###

Eliot chucked his phone to the side and clicked on the monitors. Pushing his long hair back, he stood, a beer in his hand, watching the camera feed. Watching Coulson, Phil. He noticed the differences in his old friend. Phil's hairline was back a little further than it had been a few years ago, a few more wrinkles, and a weariness he never remembered Phil ever being. In the old days he would have gone to Phil and wrapped him in his arms. Now he looked at his old friend and wondered what happened to him. It was all he could do not to go out and confront him but he promised Clint he'd wait until they were together.

He spoke to Amy and found out Coulson's visits had gone from a few times a week for the last few weeks to where he'd been in every day that week. She told him he always sat in the same spot and was systematically ordering his way through the menu. After he talked to Clint, he'd told Amy to seed the pot a little with Coulson, telling him to make sure to be there tomorrow as the head chef would be in and they would be having a special menu and it was not to be missed. After all he had been out of town and while the other cooks could make his menu, they couldn't make it like he could. Plus he could put together a little something Phil would recognize and it would be a great way to open the discussion tomorrow when he and Clint confronted him. 

He'd watched Amy deliver the message. He'd seen Coulson light up at the thought of such an opportunity. Apparently Phil was still the foodie he remembered his old CO to be.

Pulling his six pack closer, he watched the video feed from the last couple of weeks. Spotting and marking the times when Coulson had come in. The different people he'd come in with and when he'd come in alone. Chances were he'd have someone with him when he came in tomorrow. He'd also noted the days when they had specials or special menus he always had one of more people he assumed where his new team with him.

He'd enlist Hardison's help later with a few dossiers of Coulson's team so he could have the files ready to go for when Clint arrived so they could go over them together and know exactly who Phil's people were and where there could be a threat. He knew Phil well enough to know that at least one of his team members would be lethal. 

He planned to do most the work on himself. His team members were already coming through and checking on him ever since he commandeered their briefing area. He'd warded off questions from Sophie when she saw him grabbing images of Phil and his companions, shoo'd Parker off his lap where she'd landed when he failed to answer her questions. If he had to guess, Hardison, since he was the only one besides Nate who hadn't come in, was already running facial recognition and background checks on the images he'd grabbed. The hacker couldn't leave well enough alone and probably had already had several earfuls from Sophie and Parker. He knew he'd have to explain sooner or later. He preferred later however. When he'd dealt with what he was feeling seeing the only other man besides Toby who'd given a damn about him when he was at his lowest before he'd met his crew, family, was alive and well when he'd grieved for him. 

When he was at the end of his rope and the memories started to settle, he felt a squeeze his shoulder and knew it was Nate. He probably figured he'd let him stew long enough.

"You okay?"

Eliot just shrugged, glancing over at Nate and seeing his friend with his curly hair still tamed into submission for once. He wasn't sure how he could answer that question. "Maybe," he finally answered honestly. 

"Want to talk about it?" 

He really didn't want to talk but maybe if he talked it out with Nate, he'd have his thoughts a little more together by the time Clint got here. "The guy on the screen," Clint said, pointing to the close up of Coulson he'd paused on the video feed from that day. "He's an old friend and he's supposed to be dead," he said simply. 

"Obviously he isn't."

"Master of understatement there Nate," he snarked and shook his head at Nate's raised eyebrow.

"Tell me about him."

"It's a long story."

"We have all night."

"Or at least until Clint gets here," he commented, and when Nate drew circles in the air encouraging him to continue he knew he wasn't going to get out of talking about it. The others he could put off, Nate he couldn't. The mastermind knew just how to make him want to talk. "He must have been watching my various basic and training classes. I was fresh out of training and he recruited me for a special ops team that eventually turned into a Black Ops team. He was my CO. He was a trainer. He was my friend. We all lived together, did everything together as a team, but he and I; it was more than just becoming team mates or commanding officer and subordinate. He cared as much as he was allowed to and not cross some imaginary line," Eliot explained, grabbing another beer when he realized he'd finished one while talking.

"I can imagine it wasn't easy for either of you," Nate commented.

"It wasn't but we managed. Until he left, he was recruited by an alphabet soup agency, and the team went to hell. No one wanted to work with us and pretty much the entire team broke up. I was the first to go and I got out shortly after he left. He still came to me for off the books operations, even after he had put together a new team. His tactical person is an outstanding sniper. He and I bonded over our mutual desire for Coulson, and eventually had a friends with benefits thing going for a while. We drifted in and out of each other lives for quite a while. Then Phil got really busy with things he couldn't talk about and well you know how my life was, knowing spy types was frowned upon. I hadn't seen them in a couple years then Clint called to tell me about Phil's death last year. I went to the funeral. I didn't talk to Clint but I saw him. He was a mess. I loved Phil, but whatever was between him and I was nothing like what was between him and Clint. That was the real thing." Eliot paused and finished the bottle he'd been holding while he talked. It hurt to talk about it and he didn't know why he was telling Nate, except that it was Nate and he usually ended up telling Nate everything sooner or later.

"Clint's feelings for him aside. How do you feel about seeing him? Seeing he's alive?"

Leave it to Nate to get to the heart of the matter. Eliot didn't know how to answer but he took a stab at it. "Hurt and relieved and probably everything in between," he answered with a sigh. 

"Glad he's alive for you or for Clint?"

"Both, I guess. Regardless how I feel, or felt, about him. He was my friend first and always. I missed that person," he explain. Realizing he really should get his feeling for Phil in order and name what he might still feel for Coulson. 

"Hurt, or angry?" Nate continued to push.

"Both. Angry he'd do this to Clint, to me, hurt for the same reason," Eliot knew his feelings probably didn't make sense to anyone. Hell, they didn't make sense to him.

"And Clint is coming tonight?"

Eliot nodded. "When I called to tell him I was looking at a very much alive Phil, he said he'd be on a plane and arrive tonight."

"How is that going to be?"

"Fine," he answered. Or at least he hoped it would be fine. It had been a long time since he and Clint had really spent any time together and this wasn't exactly a good way to be coming back together. Now confronting Phil probably wouldn't be fine, for either of them. He watched as Nate picked up one of the beer bottles and with another squeeze to his shoulder Nate left him to his own thoughts. 

"I'll be here if you want to talk some more."

"Thanks," he said as Nate left, turning his attention toward the monitors again. He really hoped it would be as fine as he told Nate it would be.

###

Clint sat on the plane, a drink in his hand. Part of him really wished he'd let Tony and Pepper come along with him. At the very least he'd have had someone to distract him for the five hours he'd be in the air. He had too much time to get too far into his head.

He couldn't believe Phil would have lied and let everyone think he was dead. Let him think he was dead. Not after everything they had been through together. Not after what they meant to one another. He couldn't help but wonder if Phil had really loved him like he said he had. How could you let someone you professed to love think you were dead?

He filled his glass again as he sank into his memories. First meeting Phil. Working together. Meeting Eliot. He and Eliot bonding over the fact they both had feelings for Coulson. Finally building a relationship with Phil. 

Looking at his phone, he finally opened the text Eliot sent him with. Time stamped photo of Phil from that day and an older one of Phil and Melinda May from the previous week.

He was about to throw the phone again, when the screen lit up and he saw Tony.

"Do not throw that phone. I didn't pack you a replacement."

Clint shook his head. "How did you know?"

"I've had JARVIS monitoring your phone."

"Tony..."

"I don't want to hear it Legolas. We're worried about you."

Clint gave a half smile, "Thank you."

"I saw the pictures. It's really true?"

"Yeah. It appears to be."

"Who is that with him?"

"Melinda May. She was a friend."

"Was?"

"Was. I saw her before the whole Hydra thing. She asked how I was doing. Told me she missed him too. She's been lying to me as much as Phil was," Clint said finishing his scotch in a large swallow.

"Hey, that's good scotch, it's not meant to be gulped."

Shaking his head, Clint ignored Tony's condemnation and poured himself another glass.

"How many have you had?"

"A few," he said as he saluted Tony's image and downed half in one gulp.

"Dammit, we should have come with you. You shouldn't be drinking right now."

"I wish you had," Clint finally admitted. He hated the fact he needed them like he did, needed the support they gave him. 

"We'll be there by midnight. We'll text where we are staying so you'll know where we are when you need us."

Clint snapped off the monitor ending the connection. He didn't want Tony or Pepper to know how much the fact their coming after him meant to him.

He finished his drink and stood up putting the decanter away. Tony was right drinking wouldn't do him any good. And he needed a clear headed for when he talked to Eliot. Sitting back down, he reclined the seat and let himself drift in memories. Trying to remember happy times.

###

Nate stood behind the bar wiping the counter down and half keeping an eye on Eliot behind him in the kitchen. His concern for his friend hadn't abated much but at least he managed to convince Eliot to stop drinking and cook, impressing on him that his friend would probably be hungry when he arrived, and probably would have spent as much time drinking as Eliot had. God knows if someone he cared for and grieved for had lied to him in the same manner as Eliot and his friend had been lied to, he'd have been in the bottom of a bottle so fast heads would spin. That had spurred Eliot on and now he could hear clanging of pans being moved around and the occasional muffled curse one always heard when Eliot was in the kitchen after the regular cooks had spent any amount of time in there. He could tell by the smells wafting out that Eliot was making pasta with his special tomato basil sauce. Comfort food. He wondered who it was for, him or the friend who was coming. Probably both.

Hardison had the files for the people who accompanied the man on the tape all laid out ready for Eliot and his friend to go over in the conference room. Sophie and Parker were hanging out chatting, wanting to be nearby just in case. 

He knew the minute the man walked in, he was the one Eliot was waiting for. If the faded worn jeans and untucked shirt that looked like he shopped at the same stores as Eliot, although unless he missed his guess what Eliot's friend was wearing cost a whole lot more than anything in Eliot's closet. If the more of dress hadn't keyed him in the short spiky hair and the walk did, a look and this man had both in spades. Now he understood what Eliot always said about a distinctive look. 

"Hello," he greeted when the stranger came up to the bar. "You must be Eliot's friend."

"I am. He told you to expect me?"

"He did. I'm Nate," he introduced himself then turned halfway pointing toward the kitchen behind him where a pan suddenly banged. "He's in the back cooking. I'll go get him."

"Heh. Figures. I'm Clint and thank you."

Nate poured a scotch for Clint before going to the kitchen to get Eliot. He had to stop and watch as Eliot dumped the drained pasta into a big bowl, a bandana holding his hair away from his face as he cooked. When Eliot looked up, he couldn't help but smile at him. "Your friend is here."

"Great. Just in time. Grab the sauce."

Walking over, he grabbed the sauce bowl and watched as Eliot shoved a pair of tongs in the pasta and stuffed a loaf of bread under his arm before picking up the bowl of pasta. He followed Eliot out of the kitchen and toward the larger of the tables where he sat the pasta down. 

"Parker, get plates," Eliot instructed.

"Eliot."

"Clint."

Nate seldom saw a real warm smile from Eliot that went all the way to his eyes. He did now. Whoever this Clint was to Eliot their reactions toward each other said more than what his friend had told him. The hug, said even. More so since Eliot wasn't one for touchy feelies unless it was with one of his women. It wasn't the one armed slap on the back hug; it was a full on, hold tight hug. He looked up and saw the same surprise from the rest of the team. Only Parker didn't seem surprised but then she was also the one who barged past most of Eliot's barriers anyway.

After Eliot introduced Clint to everyone, if he hadn't been standing next to them, he'd have never overheard the quiet voices agreeing to talk after dinner. 

"So I see you didn't forget my favourite comfort food," Clint commented, grabbing a bowl.

"Heh... As if I could forget."

"Got the special ingredient in it?"

"What do you think?"

"What's the secret ingredient?" Parker asked. 

"Wouldn't be a secret if I told," Eliot answered.

"But he knows it," Parker countered pointing to Clint.

"He helped me create it."

"Not fair."

"Life's not fair Parker, you should know that."

"You're still not going to tell me are you?"

"Nope."

He watched the by play between all of them as the bowls of pasta and sauce rapidly disappeared along with the chianti Eliot had chosen to go with dinner. When plates were emptied and everything returned to the kitchen. Eliot and Clint disappeared with a full bottle of Jack to talk. As he and Sophie washed up the dishes, he hoped that whatever was said in the the conversation they were having, wouldn't devastate Eliot. He knew he'd find out tomorrow, but he was still planning to stick around anyway. Just incase.

###

Clint looked at the text from Tony one more time and headed to the The Heathman Hotel. Leave it to Tony to pick the best hotel in downtown Portland. Riding the elevator up to the tenth floor he knocked on the suite door where Tony and Pepper were waiting on him. Leaning on the door jam to wait for the door to open. The quantity of whiskey in his system was making his head spin.

"Get in here," Tony said pulling him into the suite and into his arms. "How did it go?"

Clint sighed as he settled into Tony's arms. Closing his eyes, he soaked in the comfort for a moment. "As well as can be expected," he finally answered with a sigh.

Tony led him to the bed, bypassing the sofa, and settled them so he lay between Tony's legs his back pressed to Tony's chest. Wrapped in Tony's arms, he started to tell about his visit with Eliot. "It was good to see Eliot. I hadn't realized how much I missed him until I saw him. We were good friends once upon a time."

"What about Coulson?" Pepper asked walking over to them.

Clint held out his hand to her and as she crawled across the wide bed to them, he guided her to settle down with him and Tony, her head in his lap. He pulled the rubber band from her hair and ran his hands though the long strawberry blond strands as he spoke. "We looked at all the video feeds. It's him. He's really alive. I saw him laughing with a member of his team, I saw him," he said his voice catching as he tried to keep himself together.

"How did your friend take it?" Pepper asked giving his leg a squeeze.

"Barely better then me," he answered quietly. "He's had more time to go through the tapes and adjust to seeing Phil alive."

"Meaning you both were too manly to cry and comfort each other," Pepper surmised as she moved and wrapped her arms around him.

Clint chuckled and tapped her lightly freckled nose. "I wouldn't necessarily say that. We both are pretty drunk and there might have been holding and crying involved," he admitted. Clint's laugh turned into tears as he finally cried in the safety of Tony and Pepper's arms. "How am I supposed to see him tomorrow? How am I ever supposed to trust him again? He lied to me. We were supposed to be together. He promised me forever," he said, knowing they didn't have answers to give him but he was finally expressing the hurt he'd felt since Eliot called him earlier that afternoon and shattered his world.

+++

When she felt Clint's hand go limp against her shoulder, she shifted away from him and looked down at him and Tony, wiping the tears she'd shed for Clint away, seeing Tony do the same thing.

"Let's get him undressed and comfortable. He's going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow so we might as well make him comfortable now," she suggested and helped as Tony manhandled Clint into a more comfortable position as she started to undo his clothes. His boots and socks first followed by his chinos, while Tony undid his shirt and wrestled it off him. 

She changed into a tank top and boxers then joined Tony and Clint in bed. Tony had positioned Clint on his side and spooned up behind him, leaving her to curl up in front of him, with Tony's arm wrapped around both of them. She laced her fingers with his and felt his slight squeeze to her hand. She'd long since lost track of the nights they had slept just like this while Clint was grieving for Phil. Mores the case of it had become easier to count the night he hadn't been with them. 

"I could kill Phil for this," she whispered, knowing Tony was still awake and probably would be for most of the night watching over them. 

"Me too. How dare he hurt Clint like this?"

"He's going to have to answer for this, and answer to more than just Clint and his friend," she declared feeling Tony's answering squeeze to her hand. Clint was the strong one, he didn't show his emotions very often and the fact this led him to this level of emotional, she knew the hurt was deep.

+++

Clint woke to a hellish headache and pounding he wasn't sure was on the door or in his head.

"Just a minute," he heard Tony call and opened his eyes to see him cross the room in a bathrobe and his hair wet. The dimness of the room also showed all curtains closed and the comfortable 'pillow' he was curled around wasn't a pillow, but Pepper. 

"Rise and shine," Tony said pushing the cart into the room.

"Fuck you," he declared, snuggling back down against Pepper.

"No time. Eliot called. He has a plan, one I might add, that I highly approve of, and you are due at the bar in 45 minutes."

"You talked to Eliot?" Clint said finally pushing up into a sitting position.

"Yes. Rather reminds me of a rougher version of you. Depending on the outcome of lunch today we're all meeting for dinner, or lunch tomorrow. Now get your ass out of bed, into the shower and eat before I have a car take you to the bar."

Clint shook his head and climbed out of bed, rather sorry to leave his spot curled up next to Pepper. As he walked into the bathroom he heard Pepper ask Tony, "did you sleep?" And Tony's answer of, "no."

###

Eliot sat nursing a cup of coffee; the cinnamon he'd added was already making him feel a little better. He'd been disappointed when Clint hadn't stayed last night. He'd wanted nothing more than to fall into bed with his old friend for a bit of drunken comfort sex, but in the light of day, it was probably better for both of them they hadn't indulged no matter how tempting. The outcome of today, or tomorrow would tell a lot of things.

Hearing footsteps, Eliot looked up from his mug and saw Nate walk in.

"How's the head?"

"It's been better," he answered then took another sip of coffee.

"Cream, sugar, and cinnamon?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the reminder."

"No problem, want me to make you some breakfast?"

He thought about Nate's offer for a moment trying to decide whether or not he could eat something, deciding he probably could, he nodded. "I could eat something."

"Breakfast coming up."

He watched as Nate pulled bacon and eggs from the fridge. While the bacon sizzled in the skillet, Nate sliced the loaf of French bread thin enough to make toast. Eliot smiled at the simplicity of the breakfast but knew it was just what he needed. He'd called Clint to remind him when he was due at the pub and spoken to someone named Tony. He'd like to meet this Tony person, if the anger on Clint, and his, behalf was any indication; he was a good friend of Clint's. 

When Nate set the plate in front of him with his bacon crispy but not overdone, eggs over easy and toast buttered. He just smiled. "You're going to spoil me if you keep this up." 

"Just doing what I can. You're going to need to be on your game if you and Clint are going to pull this off. Just remember we're all here to help if, when, you need us to."

"Thanks," Eliot said as he reached across the table and uncharacteristically took Nate's hand, giving it a squeeze before he returned to eating. Leaving Nate to stare at him like he'd grown a second head.

###

Phil walked into the Bridgeport Brewpub with Skye and Melinda accompanying him this time. He didn't know why, but this place struck a chord with him from the first time he came here. Maybe it was the comfortable atmosphere or maybe it was the friendly staff. Or maybe it was just a combination of everything. He just liked it here. It reminded him of other times long past. His waitress yesterday had told him to make sure he came today because their head chef would be back from a business trip and would be cooking and his cooking wasn't to be missed.

"I see you brought friends today," his normal waitress commented as she sat them.

"You said today couldn't be missed," he commented with a smile as she sat him at his regular table.

"No it can't. Chef has a real treat for everyone. He's calling it comfort food day, but only Chef can call a small steak with a Tuscan herb butter sauce his killer spaghetti with marinara sauce comfort food. Plus we have a guest chef who's an old friend of Chef's and he's making something special too."

Phil listened as their waitress outlined the rest of the specials and made his choice. "I'll have the steak and spaghetti side," he decided. He was never one to turn down a good steak and spaghetti always reminded him of Clint, even if that was a road he should be going down.

"I'm all for comfort food, I'll try the spicy Mac-n-cheese," Skye declared.

"I'll have the Mediterranean salad," Melinda ordered.

Phil sat back and relaxed as they waited for their food. The pub always played a wide variety of music today seemed to be country music day. He'd never been a huge fan of country music but what was playing wasn't the offensive twangy music and actually had a more southern rock bend to it at times. He'd had many a conversation over the nuances of music over the years. Lately he felt as if the fates have been steering him down memory lane. Too many memories of people his deal with Fury had forced him to leave behind.

+++

Eliot smiled at Clint as Amy loaded the tray with the special meals for Coulson and his friends. As she walked out with a tray laden with food, he bumped fists with Clint and touched his ear piece. "Hardison, cue music in five minutes."

"You got it."

"I give it ten minutes," Eliot said as he and Clint removed their aprons turning over the kitchen back to the regular chefs and headed to the conference room to watch the monitors. 

"Music starts in five, I give it six and a half," Clint bet.

"Why six and a half?" Eliot asked pushing through the doors and nodding to Hardison who had the monitors up and running. 

"He's going to hear the song and the minute you hit the chorus he's going to recognize your voice. Then he's going to wonder if it's just someone who sounds like you or if you really recorded a song." 

"You guys always said I should," Elliott commented quietly and saw Clint smile. It was one of their better memories of a night with a camp fire a couple bottles of Jack and a guitar and drunken attempts at sex.

"I'll just leave you two to your plotting, call me if you need anything else," Hardison said as he made a move to leave.

"You can stay," Eliot told him and noticed Hardison's nod and attempt to stay out of their way, being as unobtrusive as possible.

Phil's voice filled the room and Eliot winced as he heard the voice he hadn't heard in years. Looking over at Clint, he saw his friend close his eyes. Pain palatable on his face.

+++

"Thank you," Phil said as the waitress passed out their lunches.

He sat back and looked at his plate, smelling the herbs in the butter sauce covering the steak and the subtle tomato and basil of the pasta sauce. He had no idea why he ordered this; it brought back too many memories of days that can't be gone back to.

"Mmm," Melinda said taking a bite of her salad. "It's wonderful."

"Omg..." Skye exclaimed. "A.C. You have to taste this."

Phil smiled at her enthusiasm as she held out a forkful of her macaroni and cheese that included a bit of the crumb topping. Taking the offered bite, he savoured the bite making a show of tasting it. Then the flavor really hit him. He could taste the spices, the different cheeses, and the jalapeños. The one special spice that made the recipe. The cumin. Just like Clint liked to make.

+++

Clint could see the look on Phil's face. He knew the minute his former lover made the connection to the Mac-n-Cheese he use to make for them. He turned away from the screens so he wouldn't have to watch. It was bad enough hearing Phil's voice as he choked on the words then exclaimed how good it was.

"The song should be on any minute now," Eliot said quietly.

He just nodded. They could have used the track Eliot made a few years ago, but El had thought to mix it up a little so a half drunk mini jam session had him learning the music and a quick call to Hardison had the hacker recording a track with both of them playing, Eliot singing and him providing a little back up here and there. Then they finished the rest of the bottle of Jack lost in too many memories.

When he heard the first strains of the music, he turned back to the monitors to watch Phil's reactions.

+++

Phil took a bite of the steak and closed his eyes at the tender flavor. It was fixed perfectly. Twirling the spaghetti on his fork, he took a bite and the flavor of the marinara took him back, the headiness of the tomatoes, the subtle taste of basil and something he couldn't identify until he rolled the flavor around in his mouth and realized it was cinnamon. He only knew of two people who put cinnamon in spaghetti sauce. In fact he'd been there when they experimented with it the first time and made it their secret ingredient.

He looked around closely at the other patrons in the pub and watched who came and went from the kitchen. He even saw one of the chefs come out to talk to someone behind the bar. There were two more attractive women at the bar the looked like they'd chosen their seats so they could watch the bar but the pretty martini glasses in their hands belayed anything other than a couple of girlfriends out for a liquid lunch together.

"Phil? Is everything okay?"

He looked over at Melinda and saw her concerned look and watched as she too scanned the restaurant.

"Yeah," he answered as he took another bite of the spaghetti savouring the flavor and the memories it brought, even if it did hurt. 

"Are you sure?"

Nodding he wanted to assure her paranoia that there wasn't a threat. "Yeah, just the food reminded me of someone I use to know."

"Okay. If you are sure."

"I am. Just something reminded me of something from my past," he answered hoping to dissuade her from poking around too much.

"SHIELD?"

Shaking his head, he answered no, "before SHIELD." And it was the truth in a way.

The song playing sounded familiar until he realized it wasn't a mans voice he was used to hearing sing it. It was a woman's. The harder he listened to it the more the voice sounded familiar until he choked on a sip of his beer finally recognizing exactly who was singing that song and who else was singing in the background. "Skye, can you please do a search for an Eliot Spencer for me."

+++

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..."

"Hardison relax."

"We didn't anticipate this," Hardison said as he tried to get past the hackers check on Eliot. "Your guy's gal has mad skill."

"Can you block her search?" Eliot asked.

"She's good. But I'm better."

"He doesn't think highly of himself much does he?" Clint commented.

"I'm the best," Hardison declared.

"Not the best," Clint interjected.

"Hrmp," Hardison grumbled. "There isn't anything there. Your file's been wiped clean," he added surprised when even his search of Eliot's background came up with nothing. Not even the Interpol warrant for his arrest.

"Did you have something to do with this?" Eliot asked Clint.

"Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday. Whatever," Clint said shrugging.

"How?" Hardison asked wanting to know how Eliot's friend had accomplished that.

"I work for the best hacker," Clint commented.

+++

"Is there something I should be looking for A.C.? He's pretty clean. High school in Oklahoma. Military. SHIELD consultant. Leverage Inc partner. Nothing else."

"Nothing else?" Phil asked, knowing there should be Interpol notifications and warrants.

"Nothing. His files are pretty clean. Looks like it's been scrubbed."

Phil just nodded. There were only a few hackers with the skill to wipe a record clean like that and he knew two of them. One was sitting across from him but not even Skye for all her talent could do it as cleanly as this looked to be done. Which meant one thing. Tony Stark. Which meant Clint was involved. 

May's hiss and quietly exclaimed, "Crap." Told him all he needed to know. Turning in his seat, he watched Clint Barton and Eliot Spencer walking toward him. His greatest desire and his almost worst nightmare. His definition of worst nightmare had changed a bit the past month or so.

Standing up, he watched as they approached. Both men looking better than he'd seen them look in a long time. Eliot had grown his hair out, it now brushed his shoulders and if the black t-shirt he wore under the denim shirt with its sleeves rolled to his elbows exposing his forearms were any indication, he was in better shape then he'd ever been in before. Clint looked good in well worn jeans and a dress shirt hanging untucked with sleeves rolled much the same way as Eliot's. 

"Gentlemen," he greeted them when they stopped in front of him. He wasn't sure the response he was going to get from them. Their expressions gave nothing away.

"Coulson," they both said in unison.

"May," Clint acknowledged.

"Barton."

Phil stood with May and Skye at his back waiting to see what his two protégées would do, or say, next. He wasn't sure himself how to proceed. Especially with these two. Anyone else would have reacted one way or another but these two were controlled and could play the game with the best of them.

"Gentlemen. The back conference room is set up for your meeting."

Phil looked at the he stranger who approached them. He'd seen the older man with the dark curly hair behind the bar when he'd arrived.

"Thanks Nate," Eliot said.

+++

Clint turned and nodded at Eliot. "If you'll follow us," he said to Coulson and turned just enough so Phil could follow Eliot and he'd bring up the rear. When May and Skye tried to follow, he stopped them. "No. You'll stay here."

"Barton."

"No May. This is between Eliot, Coulson and I. I'm sure Eliot's friends would be glad to entertain you and Coulson's new pet," Clint growled. 

"Hey," Skye protested. "I'm no ones pet. I don't know who you think you are."

Clint laughed. He really could have liked her if they had met under any other circumstances. She had spunk. "Too bad he betrayed us or we could have welcomed you to the club since you're looking at his first two," Clint snarked as he directed Phil to follow Eliot. 

His former lover stopped and briefly turned to May telling her, "Stay or go, but this isn't going to be quick."

"Phil?"

"It will be okay," Phil told her.

May glared at him, but he returned her glare with his own icy stare and Eliot's scary glare had her backing off as Phil fell in step with him and Eliot. 

As Eliot guided them into the conference room, he stopped him with a hand to his arm and quietly asked, "Are you okay?"

Clint shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know."

"You'll let me know?"

"Yeah," he said nodding and squeezed Eliot's arm as they closed the door behind them. He really didn't know what he was going to say to his former lover partially because he still didn't know how he felt.

+++

Phil stood looking around at the conference room he'd just been shown into with multiple video screens and comfortable furniture before looking at the two men who at one point in time meant everything to him. He could tell they were just as much at a loss as to what to say to him as he was. "So I guess I have a lot of explaining to do," he started, trying to spur them on to say something. He could understand the anger he saw written all over Eliot's face, but Clint was totally closed off to him and for the first time in all the years he'd known him, he had no idea what he was thinking.

"You think," Eliot snarked at him.

He watched Clint take a deep breath and look at Eliot before he said just one word, "Why?

"Why? What?" He asked wanting to know what Clint wanted answered first.

"Really, you can ask that," Eliot answered.

"Why you lied to us," Clint said motioning between he and Eliot. "Why you lied to me. Your lover. The person you were supposed to be committed to and supposed to trust more than anyone. Why Phil? Why did you throw it all away?"

"Because that was the deal that was made. I had to remain dead. No one under level seven could know," he answered knowing how much it would hurt Clint.

"You bastard," Eliot growled.

"Obviously everyone except me. You forget I was level seven."

"The Avengers were not to know," he tried to explain; knowing anything he would say to defend why he never told them he was alive, rules be damned, would be self serving and not well received.

"I don't buy it." Clint declared. 

"I'm sorry," was all Phil said.

+++

Parker stood just behind the wall, listening. She knew it wasn't going to go good for them and she didn't want Eliot to hurt anymore. She'd seen enough of that last night as she'd watched he and his friend get very drunk and express their feelings. She'd seen Eliot in all forms of being intoxicated but she'd never seen him so bad that he'd slept on the sofa in the conference room.

Going back to the kitchen she grabbed avocados and the ingredients for guacamole in a big basket, the blue tortilla chips, three shot glasses and a fresh bottle of Jack Daniels. Eliot always cooked when he needed to work something out and he and his friend seemed to be a lot alike so maybe this would help them.

Pushing through the doors to the conference room she smiled at the three men who were still standing where they had been, not talking.

"Parker? What the hell?" 

"You're upset. You always cook when you're upset. And you guys drank last night. So I'm bringing things to help you talk," she said setting glasses on the low table with the bottle and setting the basket in a place where they could work.

"You make guac like I like it," she told Eliot kissing his cheek before bouncing over to Clint.

"You help him," she instructed Clint, kissing his cheek to trying to get the hard expression off his face, when he gave her a slight smile she grinned and squeezed his arm before turning and glaring at the man they were mad at.

"You hurt them. Help them and fix it," she demanded before turning and leaving them to stare after her.

+++

Clint watched her go then turned to Eliot. "Twenty pounds of crazy?" He questioned with the hint of a smile As the petite blond bounced out of the room.

"In a five pound bag," Eliot finished, laughing.

"I like her."

"So do I. She is probably the most honest person I know when it comes to saying what she feels."

"Pretty smart too," Clint acknowledged. "I imagine you don't underestimate her often."

"I don't, but a lot of people do," Eliot said with a shrug. "You know Clint, she has a point."

Clint finally look at Coulson who had opened the bottle of Jack and poured three glasses for them. "I know she does. I know we both stress cook and I know having him help us will break the ice, but I'm not sure," he said to looking to Eliot, then turning toward Phil once again. "I wished and I prayed for months after Fury told me you were dead that you'd come walking through the door alive and well telling me Nick had told me that just incase you died from treatments. But it's been almost two years and you're obviously alive, well, and not still recovering. So what the fuck Phil?"

He watched as Phil took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. When his former lover held out two avocados toward him and Eliot he couldn't help but shake his head and go around to where Parker had set the basket down for them. He took one of the avocados and handed Eliot his knife and a bunch of green onions. 

"You can talk while we cut up the avocados. And make sure to keep our glasses filled," Clint said as he cut one removed the seed from the center of one of the fruits.

+++

Splitting an avocado, he handed each half to Eliot and Clint, before reaching for another. "The story was that I was dead for a few minutes. I was actually dead for four days," he started to tell them, but had to drop his knife and put a supporting hand on Clint's arm as he saw his former lover start to sway. When Clint was steady on his feet, he released his arm and picked up another piece of fruit to split for them.

Looking at Clint, he asked. "In Tony's snooping in SHIELDs classified files did he ever uncover anything called project T.A.H.I.T.I? It was a research program designed to be able to heal an avenger should one of you become critically injured." 

He watched as Clint shook his head. "Not that I know of. I'd have to ask him. He has almost everything he was able to pilfer from the SHIELD data banks before Tasha dumped it out there for all the world to see."

"This would have been in the encrypted files if it was even still in the data base," he explained, then added, "it was a project I was in charge of and I shut it down because the results were less than favorable."

"Do you want me to have Tony look?"

"Does he know?"

"About you?"

Phil nodded.

"Yes. And he's none too happy with you."

Phil closed his eyes and made his decision. Maybe it was time for him to come out of the shadows at least to some extent. "Have him look."

"What does this have to do with why you lied to everyone?" Eliot asked.

"A lot actually," Phil said as watched Clint wipe his hands and pull out what had to be the latest in Stark Tech and make his call. "I can explain some of it but if Tony actually has the files that will fill in some of my blanks."

"You know, I don't know if I should kiss you or kill you," Eliot admitted.

He couldn't help but smile a little; he was actually surprised Eliot hadn't tried the latter one sooner. "I'd prefer the former, but I understand the latter."

"Do you really realize how badly you've hurt him?" Eliot told him nodding toward Clint. "I've never even him as broken as he was last night when he got here. It was hard to try and put him back together when I'm feeling the same way."

"I really am sorry," Phil admitted. "There was so much I didn't know about my recovery that was kept from even me and when I finally found out everything, the world had gone to hell in a hand basket."

"You'll tell us everything?"

"Yes. I'm done keeping secrets," Phil said, then clarified, "well at least those secrets."

"You better be."

"I'd say trust me, but that's pretty thin right now I know," he told Eliot.

+++

Clint half listened as Phil and Eliot spoke. He caught some of it and it was all he could do to not make editorial comments while he waited to Tony to answer. "It's about time," he said when he heard Tony's voice.

"Are you okay?"

Clint shrugged, knowing Tony couldn't see him. "About the same."

"Have you talked to him yet?"

"Just starting now."

"We want answers Clint."

"I know Tony. We all do. But right now I need you to do us a favour. I need you to get into the encrypted files you have from SHIELD and look for something called project T.A.H.I.T.I. It's probably an acronym for something. I want everything you can find."

"Does this have to do with Agent?"

"Yes. It does...”

"Okay. And Clint. Take are. Call us if you need us."

"Thanks Tony," he said as he hung up the phone. There was a lot not said in the conversation but he and Tony had gotten pretty good reading between the lines.

"Did he know it?" Phil asked when he hung up the phone.

"He'll look, he only has JARVIS snoop when he needs to know something so it probably never came up on his radar," Clint answered. Picking up his glass, he drained the last of his drink in one fell swoop and reached for the bottle only to find Phil was waiting with the bottle in hand to refill his glass. "Thanks," he said as he took another sip before picking up his knife again and telling Phil to continue.

+++

Taking a gulp of his drink, he refilled their glasses and started at the beginning. He told them everything he remembered happening in the order it happened. He told them about the dreamscape that turned into nightmares. He told them about Raina and the clairvoyant and them wanting to know what happened to him that he lived. He told them about the machine that made him remember everything. He talked about the robotic device and how it rewrote his memories while he begged to allowed to die. He had to stop and take a drink and walk away as Clint paled at his words and Eliot held him for a moment, undoubtedly comforting him with whispered words. He knew it wasn't easy to hear. Hell it hadn't been easy to admit that he wanted to die rather than suffer the pain he was being put through.

The last thing he expected as he looked at the blank screens was to feel two sets of arms around him. Surrounding him, comforting him as much as they seemed to need it too. With a sigh, he relaxed slightly into their embrace. 

"I don't forgive you, yet, but that's just wrong," Eliot growled.

"God Phil," Clint said the anger and the hurt starting to seep out of his voice.

"That's not all is it," Eliot questioned and when he shook his head, all his old friend said was, "finish it."

They moved to the comfortable sofa, leaving their attempts at making something behind, and got settled. Eliot only let go of him long enough to grab their glasses and the bottle. God knows he needed a drink as much as the two men he was telling his story too. When the burn of the alcohol settled in his stomach he filled his glass again, letting it set for the next hurdle or ten to tell them about.

He half leaned against Eliot, as strong arms embraced him, while Clint chose to take an old remembered position and laid with his head in his lap, Eliot's free hand resting on Clint's head, caressing the short hair.

And he started talking again. He told them about finally being able to see his medical records and finding out about the GH-325. And about Skye getting shot. He told them about taking her to the T.A.H.I.T.I project location and to retrieve the GH-325 and finding out exactly what it was and seeing the alien it came from. And with that he felt both their arms tighten around him. 

He told them about his fear of what happened to him and the pain, happening to her but it was too late to stop her injection. And he told them about their bond, and her strength helping him get through another betrayal as he told them about May and what she was doing behind his back. He wasn't sure if it was Eliot or Clint he had to restrain more to keep from going to May and hurting her. He needed to finish the story and then they could decide how they felt about her and her role in everything. He'd be the first to admit that his retraction to Mays betrayal was about the same as theirs.

His telling of his part of SHIELD going to hell and Hydra's uprising had Clint sitting up, his head between his knees, his body shaking.

"I wasn't, I should have been, I was with Tony, we were over seas," Clint stuttered over and over causing Phil to pull him closer so he and Eliot could hold him.

"You were right where you needed to be," Phil told him. "We're going to need the Avengers before this is all over. You might be the only ones to take down Hydra and the super soldiers centipede are creating. SHIELDs enemies joined with Hydra as a means to an end but with SHIElD in pieces they won't need Hydra and we will have people coming at us from many fronts."

"That's not the worst of it though is it?" Eliot asked.

"No," he confirmed pulling out of Eliot's embrace. Leaving the two younger men together on the sofa while he stood and walked over to lean up against the bar in the center of the room.

"The betrayal of people we called friends. I lost a teammate that was hydra. But as bad as that was, the worst was what May found out. She left us because I didn't trust her anymore because she'd been reporting to Fury about me, and everything I thought I was being given as part of my silence was a well orchestrated lie. She brought me information about T.A.H.I.T.I. I saw it was my project and the serum I helped to create and that Fury gave me would cause psychotic breaks. She was watching me for signs. My team was picked to help me if need be or to put me down," he finished, his voice drifting off.

"That's not all of it Phil. Tell me," Clint demanded looking up at him.

Phil knew Clint would pick up on it. Eliot too but Clint was quicker on the draw. "Garrett broke completely after he was given the serum. He was gone. I've noticed some some things happening, like Garrett but no where near the extent of his break." 

"Who knows about this?" Eliot asked.

"May. Skye. You two," he answered, knowing why Eliot was asking, he wanted to know if there was there anyone who could potentially harm him.

"Fury? Hill?" Clint asked for confirmation.

"No, although Fury knows its a possibility. I'm not sure about how much Maria knows," he answered honestly.

"We should bring Tony and Bruce in," Clint suggested. "If anyone can figure it out they can."

"Good idea," he admitted. He liked planning, he liked the thrill of working with Clint again, but there was so much more at stake right now that it would be easy to lose site of for the thrill of planning. "But... Maybe we shouldn't get caught up in... Until..."

"Yeah," Eliot agreed, "you're right."

"So what now?" Clint asked.

"That's up to you two. I can walk away, pretend this never happened or..."

"You could really do that?" Eliot asked. "Rip our hearts out and walk away?"

"Not easily. No. It was hard enough not being able to tell you I was alive, It would rip my heart out too to walk away," he admitted. It would kill him to walk away from these two again, but if that was what they wanted he would do it. For them.

"No," Clint declared. "That's not what I want. I still care, but I can't go back to where we were before, not right now. But I'm not willing to go back to nothing."

"So," Phil prompted wanting Clint to spell out exactly what he wanted. He and Clint had always been able to finish each other's sentences but right now he need Clint to say it.

"So we rebuild a friendship and see where it goes."

"Eliot?" 

"I'm with Clint, about not going back to you not being around, but not having the other part of your relationship, I can freely do this," Eliot said as he stood up and walked over to him, grabbing him.

Phil sighed as Eliot grazed a lingering chaste kiss across his lips as he pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you," he said quietly.

+++

Clint watched as Phil and Eliot hugged. The stab off jealousy he felt was unfamiliar, he'd never, ever, been jealous of Eliot and Phil together. What he was jealous of was the fact that they could repair what was broken with Phil's lies so easily. But then, in the few years before Phil 'died' they hadn't seen much of Eliot. In fact, they hadn't seen much of Eliot since they finally got together and Clint couldn't blame him knowing how El had always felt about Phil.

"Fuck it," he decided. "Phil," he said getting his former lover's attention and watched as he and Eliot parted. "Come 'ere," he requested opening his arms and walking partway toward Phil.

When Phil walked into his arms he felt complete again. A quick kiss and a tight hug had him feeling like he'd come home. He couldn't do this, but he could not do this. "Can we start over," he asked pulling back and motioning Eliot closer so he could grab him and pull him into the hug too. 

"I'd like that," Phil answered.

"I can't just go back to where we were, not yet. But can we start over, be friends first again. I'm not the same person I was before Loki thanks to Tony and Pepper, you aren't the same person, and," he said looking over at Eliot, "El is a better person than he was thanks to the people in his life now," he finished leaning over to give Eliot a quick kiss. 

They always said that timing was everything and this was no different, only in the wrong direction as his phone was vibrating in his pocket. Reaching down, he pulled the phone from his pocket. "What?"

"What the hell is Agent into? I found project T.A.H.I.T.I. Holy fuck Clint, that's some nasty shit. Please tell me they didn't give him that to bring him back?"

"I can't do that Tony."

"Shit."

"I only know the basics, but yeah. Bring the files and Pepper to the pub. See Phil. Meet Eliot and his people," he suggested with a smile. 

"Tell me you didn't just invite Tony Stark here?" Phil asked when he hung up the phone. 

"Gotta get past Tony to get to the rest of them," Clint said with a shrug. "Besides, you know you missed him."

"Tony Stark? Seriously Clint? You're working for Tony Stark? I knew you were working for somebody important, but I never guessed it was Stark." Eliot asked raising an eyebrow at him.

Clint laughed and hugged both of them tighter, it wasn't an uncommon reaction when people found out he worked for, even knew, Tony Stark. 

"I can't wait to see Hardison's face," Eliot said with an evil grin.

"Skye's too," Phil added. 

Clint laughed then yawned. The traveling, the stress and the quantity of alcohol of the last 24 hours was catching up with him now that the bulk of the conversation and revelations were over.

"How soon will Tony be here?" Phil asked.

"Thirty minutes give or take. You know he has to make an entrance but I heard Pepper in the back ground saying she needed a shower," Clint answered.

"So an hour," Phil said with a smile, he knew all about how long it would take Pepper to get ready.

"What are you thinking Phil??" Eliot asked.

"Power nap," Phil said, leading them back to the couch. 

Clint nodded and the three of them snuggled down on the sofa trying making sure Phil was between him and Eliot. It felt good to be in this position once again. Phil's cologne filled his senses; Eliot's hand rubbed his arm. It reminded him of the early days when it was the three of them working together, catching sleep whenever they could. There hadn't been sexual tension back then, well at least not on his part. Eliot had been in love with Phil for years before he came along, but had always managed to keep it perfectly professional. Glancing up at his friend’s face as he rested, he wondered if it could be kept purely professional now.

###

Parker peeked in and saw the three of them laying almost cuddled together. She noticed the soothing of the lines in both Eliot's and his friend's face and knew just by that and their position that their conversation had been good. And while it might not have settled everything, it did make things a little better.

She crept in and removed all traces of the guacamole they had started to make. She'd come back later if they stayed asleep and cover them. But for now she was trying to be as quiet as possible so she wouldn't disturb them. Looking over at them one more time she saw Eliot's eyes on her and smiled at him, blowing him a kiss. She saw his answering smile before she left.

###

"Omg Eliot," Hardison shouted walking into the back room. "Eliot man, Tony Stark just walked into the bar asking for you. Tony Stark. Eliot!"

"Hardison breath," Eliot said as the three of them shifted and untangled themselves from their nap.

"Forty five minutes," Clint said looking at his watch.

"Pepper must be quicker than she use to be," Phil added.

"Eliot. Tony Stark."

"Yes, Hardison. Clint and he are friends. Please show him back," Eliot growled, starting to get frustrated with the hacker’s franticness that Tony Stark was there.

"Is he always that excitable?" Phil asked rolling his sleeves back down.

Eliot nodded at Clint and together they straightened Phil's tie and returned his cuff links. He was well acquainted with Phil's own brand of a suit of armor and knew Phil was steeling himself for yet another confrontation.

+++

Tony followed an excitable young hacker back to where Clint and Eliot and Phil were supposed to be. The younger man plying him with questions so rapid fire it made his head hurt. Thankfully, he didn't think he was actually supposed to answer everything at least not at that moment in time. Walking through the doors he saw a dark haired man hand Phil a glass of something while Clint poured another one.

"Barton," he called, using Clint's last name so he could judge the situation.

"Tony. Pepper," Clint said with a smile as he walked over to them.

Clint's open smile and hugs and kiss for both he and Pepper surprised him a little. He wasn't expecting Clint to acknowledge whatever it was they had together in front of anyone especially Coulson. Especially when most of the Avengers including Natasha, didn't know everything about how close they were.

"Let me introduce you to Eliot," Clint said pointing to the dark haired man.

Tony politely went along with the introductions to Clint's old friend, both he and Pepper ignoring the thousand pound elephant in the room by the name of Phil Coulson. When the niceties with Clint's friend were complete, he turned to Coulson. "Agent," he said before he hauled off and decked the SHIELD agent who had hurt Clint and lied to all of them.

He watched as Coulson cradled his jaw then looked him straight in the eye.

"Good to see you too, Stark," he said dryly.

"Good to see you? That's all you can say?" Tony snarked.

"Why Phil?" Pepper asked.

"The why I have already explained to Clint and Eliot and honestly don't have the energy to do again. A good chunk of it I'm sure has to do with the computer files Tony brought with him."

"Seriously Agent. You actually let them give you that stuff," Tony asked in disbelief.

"Let is a strong word, Stark. How about had no choice at being given," Phil answered.

"Son of a bitch. I knew Fury was cold, but I didn't know he was that cold," Tony said shaking his head.

"So did you read it?"

"Most of it. I need to go back and really digest parts of it," Tony answered. 

"Read it, learn it, know it. Bring Banner in on it and when you are completely familiar with it brief us," Phil recommended.

"That's it? That all you have to say?"

"What more do you want me to say. I'm giving you highly classified information. I'm telling you my greatest weakness, or one of them. What else do you want me to tell you? Or do I need to threaten to taze you?"

"Now that sounds like the Agent I know and remember."

"Taze him?" Eliot asked Clint quietly.

"Yeah, he always threatened to taze Tony and make him watch Super Nanny."

"Parker will love him. Her taser is her favourite accessory besides her climbing harness."

Clint laughed. "Tony in case you haven't figured it out Phil trusts you."

Tony had been looking back and forth between Coulson and Clint's conversation with his friend so he missed the implication of trust. When he figured it out he stood speechless looking at Coulson. "Okay, I get it now."

+++

Clint smiled at Tony finally figuring it out. He never knew that no matter how much they went back and forth, Phil had always trusted Tony.

Before they could get into any kind of further conversation, he suggested, "Dinner. I'm starving. Eliot and I didn't really eat and I know Phil never got to finish his lunch."

"I'll cook," Eliot offered. "We have a private kitchen dining area for my team."

"Do we get to meet your people?" Phil asked.

"Of course," Eliot answered.

"What about your new team?" Clint asked.

"Agent has a new team? That's not right. We're Agent's team."

"Tony not everything is about you."

"I know that Pepper, but the Avengers. We're Agent's team. I saw all those files. He was supposed to be ours."

"Not that I don't want to hear all about this, but like Clint, I'm hungry, let's go to the private kitchen, and we can continue this," Eliot suggested again.

Clint followed behind as he watched Eliot guide them toward another part of the brewpub. He saw Eliot's surprised look at the long table in center of the cozy feeling room. A bar separated the kitchen area from the rest of the room and sofas looked like they had been pushed aside to accommodate the table. The four of them took a seat at the bar while Eliot went behind the bar.

"Barton, get your ass back here and help me," Eliot ordered.

He couldn't help but smile at Eliot's order. They always cooked well together each playing Sous chef to the other. Tonight he'd be the Sous chef.

"Phil, you're not allowed to slack either, help Clint."

"Wow, Agent taking orders. I have to watch this."

"Tony be nice," Clint said at the same time as Pepper causing them all to smile and Tony pout just a little.

Eliot's people filtered in and introductions were made as Eliot guided him around the kitchen. They stumbled a few times and once he stood back and watched as Eliot and Phil moved around each other in the cooking area that was barely big enough for the three of them; it took him back to times years ago when it was just the three of them.

+++

Parker perched on the large chair just out of the general group and watched. Alec was questioning Tony and she smiled as the billionaire answered his questions. Sophie and Pepper talked art with Nate. But it was Eliot and his friends she watched.

She'd seen him work in the kitchen before, but normally he hated people in his space. These two were allowed to be there with him. They moved around him and bumps, nudges and touches were intentional. And for maybe the first time, she saw him smile. She had a glimpse of what he was before. She wanted to go over there and tell both of them never to hurt him. Ever. She liked the Eliot she saw with them. He was happy.

"Parker, you're thinking too much come help," Eliot called to her.

"I can't cook Eliot, you know that," she told him as she still stood up and walked toward him. 

He kissed her cheek, before telling her, "just help Phil with the salad and don't try to put any of your sugary cereal in it."

"Sugary cereal?"

"Don't ask," Eliot laughed.

He made her part of them. And the one, who had hurt him, handed her a bag of salad greens to dump in a bowl while he cut various vegetables and even fruits, handing her the cutting board after each to dump in the bowl.

She looked back at him when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Taste," he said holding a spoon up to her.

She savoured the flavours like he taught her. "It's rich. There is citrus, lemon?" She declared and grinned when he smiled and nodded. 

"Very good. You're getting better at this."

She looked at Phil and Clint and and saw the look of fondness directed at both her and Eliot. She had a feeling there was a story there but knowing Eliot she wouldn't get it anytime soon. It surprised her that she was okay with that too. 

"Let's eat," Eliot declared.

She helped them assembly line prepare the plates. Steaks with a citrus butter sauce, a vegetable, spaghetti, and a salad. When everyone had a plate they sat around the table. Eliot sat her next to him so he was between her and the older man, Phil. They laughed and told stories. Phil and Clint had the table laughing with stories of Eliot. And not to be out done, Eliot turned the tables with a few of his own. 

By the time dinner was over she knew that whatever happened, she wouldn't have to worry about Eliot being hurt by them again. Not if the fond looks from Clint or the fact Phil reached under the table to grasp Eliot's hand and give it a squeeze were any indication.

###

Eliot watched as Clint left with Tony and Pepper. He could see the blink of hurt and resignation in Phil's expression. He saw the same in Clint. It wasn't finished between them. He knew that. What he didn't know was where he would fit in, except that Clint had hugged him before leaving, quietly telling him to take what he always wanted.

"Phil, do you have anywhere you need to be tonight?" He asked refilling Phil's wine glass.

"No. I don't. I'll call May and tell her not to expect me back maybe for a few days."

"A few days?" Eliot questioned wondering exactly what Phil was thinking.

"Yeah. I'm sure Clint will be back, plus it's been years Eliot since we've spent any time together."

Eliot smiled. "It has been. And I'd like that."

"Can I ask you a question?"

Eliot nodded, "Sure."

"What did Clint tell you when he left?"

Eliot dreaded having to answer that question, if for no other reason than he'd rather have Phil reject him when he kissed him, than listen to Phil try and explain why it couldn't happen. Taking a deep breath, he answered hoping it wouldn't put the brakes on anything before it had a chance to get started, "he told me to take what I always wanted where you were concerned."

He forced himself to breath while he waited for they myriad of expressions to cross Phil's face. He could name each and everyone of them too. Surprise that Clint would tell him that. Hurt. Resignation their relationship wasn't fixable. 

"I guess it means that he really doesn't want to fix us," Phil sighed.

Grabbing Phil's arm and pulling the older man toward him, Eliot stroked down his cheek before leaning in and laying a chaste kiss against Phil's lips. "No I think it means he needs time and that you and I should figure out what we never got a chance to all those years ago."

"And Clint? Where does he fit in?" Phil asked.

Eliot was hopeful when Phil never pulled out of his embrace. Tugging Phil back to the large sofa in front of the bar, he pushed them down onto the sofa where they had all napped much earlier. "He fits in wherever he wants to. He knows how I feel about you. He knows we never got a chance back then. And he knows we both love him. When he figures out where he wants to be we welcome him back to us. And this time the us is exactly what we should have been."

"I like the sound of that."

He debated just getting comfortable, but changed his mind and stood up, pulling Phil to his feet. "Let's go to my place. I have a selection of nice wines. A big bed we can curl up in and talk or just cuddle." He hoped Phil would go for it. 

"I'd like that," Phil agreed.

Setting their wine glasses aside, Eliot leaned and gave Phil another kiss, less chaste this time before leading Phil to the back door.

###

Parker stood in the shadows and watched as Eliot and Phil left. She was happy for her friend. She'd eavesdropped on all the conversations over the last twenty-four hours to know that there were unresolved feelings between Eliot and the older man. She wasn't quite sure where Clint would fit into everything and maybe only the coming days or however long it took would tell.

She'd seen Clint leave earlier with Tony and Pepper. And she'd seen the facade slip the minute they were away from the pub. She'd followed close enough to hear the conversation and heard Clint telling Tony he'd told Eliot to go for it. It had surprised her as much as it had Tony. But the raw emotion he saw coming from Clint belayed all sense of everything. Clint was hurting and no matter how brave he'd been all day seeing his old lover hurt and while okay with it on one level she knew the fact Phil had stayed with Eliot hurt deeply. And Clint seemed only willing to allow Tony to see that hurt.

She thought about whether she should tell Eliot what she'd seen at the risk of a lecture about spying on friends and eavesdropping, but she decided to wait and see if Eliot had a shot at being really happy, she wanted to give him that shot and if Clint came in tomorrow and kept up the premise of being happy Eliot and Phil were getting together she'd let it go, for now.

###

Phil stood, arms braced on the railing of the deck of Eliot's condo. The Columbia river was below and he could see the lights of the barges moving up and down the river. Eliot had showed him around the large one bedroom loft condo with a huge balcony filled with pots and containers growing various vegetables and fruits. He smiled when he felt Eliot's arms circle his waist and the younger man lean against his back.

"You look lost in thought."

Shaking his head, he turned in Eliot's embrace. Reaching up, he caressed Eliot's cheek before pushing his hair back and sinking his fingers in the long dark hair Eliot was now sporting, he smiled and answered, "not really. I was just watching the boats. It's peaceful here. It suits you."

"I like it. I knew when I saw it I had to have it."

"What are we doing?" He asked, his thumb caressing Eliot's cheek.

"Whatever we want," Eliot answered quietly.

"Clint?" 

"Clint has to deal with his feelings of hurt and betrayal. He will understand if we go to bed and fuck each other senseless or if we just curl up and sleep like so many times in the past," Eliot answered, pausing briefly before continuing, "but Phil, what happens tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month will depend on you. Whatever my feelings are, the fact that you are alive and we, you and I, Clint, are in a place where we can be in each other's lives again, that is what's most important to me. We drifted apart before you 'died' we have a second chance and I won't let that happen to us again."

Phil nodded. He didn't know what he wanted. So much had happened since he walked into the brew pub for lunch. He needed time to get his own head and heart together, but right now he was going to accept the comfort of the arms around him. Leaning down he kissed Eliot. Not the chaste kisses from before, more deeper, tasting, searching. He felt the bubbling of more rise. It was the first time since before New York he felt even the hint of arousal. He smiled against Eliot's mouth. It was nice to know he could still feel like that and even nicer to know that what had been hinted at so many years ago was real. 

"Ummm, yeah..." Eliot murmured.

"Yeah...." Phil said smiling, pulling back so he could see Eliot's blue eyes blown with passion. 

"You okay?" Eliot asked.

Phil nodded with a slight shrug. "Confused. I guess."

"Let's go curl up in bed and we can talk. Figure out what's next. How fast. How slow."

"Yeah..." He agreed. He needed slow while he figured out his head and heart, but he wasn't willing to give up what he was feeling right now.

###

"So how are you really?" Tony asked as he settled on the bed with Clint. "I mean beyond what you told me when we left?"

Shrugging, Clint answered quietly, "I don't know. Better than I was before I talked to him."

"But?"

"But it still hurts. I wanted nothing more than to take him to bed and make love with him, show him how much I missed him..."

"But..." Tony interrupted.

"But, it's hard to get past the last couple of years," he finally said.

"What about Eliot?" Pepper asked as she curled up next to him.

"What about him?"

"Don't be stupid. You know what she's asking," Tony stated.

Clint shrugged again. "He and Phil were never lovers. He never had a commitment with Phil. So he can forgive easier than I can." He knew they wanted to ask more and he was pretty sure what their next question would be. "And yes, it hurts a little but I'm okay with them together."

"Really?"

"Logically? Yes. In my heart? You know it hurts like hell to think of them together. But I have to get over it. I can't be with Phil right now and Eliot deserves his chance to be with Phil. I'll deal with it. I have to. I won't lose either of them again, even if it is just friendship."

"I don't know how you can be okay with that."

Clint smiled and ran his hand through Pepper's hair. "Because from the minute I met Eliot before Phil and I got together, I knew there was something unspoken, unacted upon between them. Eliot and I bonded over our mutual feeling for Phil. I can't be with him, not now and I don't know if I ever can, no matter how much I want to fall into Phil's arms right now, so why not Eliot."

"I don't know if I could be that generous."

Clint turned to look at Tony. "Why not? You and Pepper brought me to your bed, took care of me, comforted me, and while we don't have sex, we do everything but."

"He has a point Tony."

"You guys are ganging up on me."

"Quit pouting, Tony," Clint laughed, pulling Tony back down and shifting with Pepper to curl around him.

"Seriously though Clint," Pepper started to ask, "what are you going to do about Phil?"

"I don't know," he said shrugging. Feeling her arms wrap around him he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Probably get to know him as a friend again and see where it goes."

"Good idea," she agreed.

"We have that mystery of what they gave him to figure out too," Tony pointed out.

Clint looked over Pepper at Tony and nodded. "I want to know what they did to him. Fucking Fury," he muttered again. 

"We'll follow your lead," Tony stated.

"Thanks guys. We need to figure out what they did to Phil, and we should be available to help with anything that comes up with SHIELD. Especially since Phil is the new Director."

"I'll call Bruce in the morning. We'll get everyone one on board and ready."

"Thanks, Tony," Clint said reaching out to take Tony's hand. He really didn't know what he'd have done without these two the last couple years and he knew they would play a big part in helping keep him together as he tried to rebuild a friendship with Phil.

+++

Clint laid with Tony's arms around him. They had talked a while longer until the conversation drifted off as Pepper fell asleep and surprisingly Tony as well. He knew he should sleep. The emotional exhaustion was settling around him, but he couldn't turn his brain off. There was still so much of his conversation with Eliot and Phil he replayed to make sure he hadn't missed something. Some nuance in something Phil had said.

To Eliot's pleasure they learned that Phil's new base of operations was in a warehouse district of a town near Portland. He'd volunteered to help out if Phil needed him to but he wasn't coming back to SHIELD on a full time basis. He liked working for Tony plus he wasn't sure if he could handle being with Phil, day in and day out. He needed some distance while he learned to trust Phil again and learn to be his friend. And who knows what would happen in six months time. Maybe things would be different.

Yawning, he snuggled down closer to Tony, breathing in the faint cologne his friend wore. Closing his eyes, he knew he could sleep now that he'd settled on some kind of plan for the near future.

###

Six months later

Phil sat in his office and tossed another file into the done box. Another good agent located dead. He was getting tired of finding good people killed by HYDRA. Tired of Centipede and their super soldiers. He was just tired period. 

Stark and Banner were working in Tony's lab in New York to deconstruct the GH-325. He'd given Tony the coordinates for the non-SHIELD sanctioned secret lab called "Guest House" and let him decide if he wanted to rip apart a mountain to get to the former WWII bunker and see if there was anything left to salvage. In particular the alien the formula had come from. 

He still had nightmares, but instead of waking up in a sweat dreaming about Tahiti, he woke up sometimes screaming about blue aliens and weird symbols carved into a wall. He almost paled at that thought, almost. He held off carving into walls until he could feel it boiling under his skin and only then would he give in and close the blinds and raise the wall that hid the portion of the wall he carved on. Then it would be photographed and shipped to Stark and Skye so they could try and decode what he'd written. Unfortunately their efforts weren't getting them anywhere. 

He knew Stark was dividing his time between tying to decode and spending entirely too many hours at the excavation site. A message last night from Tony had stated that he'd reached concrete and building material and was proceeding. Which was what undoubtedly brought on the latest round of nightmares. 

"Hey, Boss."

Phil looked up and was surprised to see Clint stride into his office, his lanyard swinging from his neck. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Tony." While seeing Clint and knowing nothing was like it had been, his presence was always welcomed especially since they had mostly returned to how they had been before they declared their feelings for one another. The trust of friendship mostly regained. 

"I was but I got a phone call saying I was needed for a little intervention."

"Who called you?"

"I did," Eliot said coming around the corner. "You're tired. The intervals between carvings is getting shorter. I thought maybe Clint could help me convince you to take a couple days off."

"I can't, I need to..."

"You can, and you will. I've already spoken to May and she will be here to act in your behalf. But you're tired and from what Eliot has told me, you're having nightmares again."

"Traitor," he told Eliot with a half smile accepting the light kiss and hug his lover gave him before settling behind his chair to rub his shoulders.

"I told you I'd bring in the big guns if I had to," Eliot stated.

"I just didn't expect your big guns to be Clint," he said with a sigh, knowing he was beat because he was pretty sure Eliot and Clint had figured everything out before Clint walked in. "so what do you have planned for me?"

"Heh, heh, heh..." Eliot laughed.

"Hey keep it clean while I'm here," Clint teased.

"Nate has given us use of his sail boat and we can sail along the Oregon coast for a week," Eliot informed him.

"I'll stay and help May. Now get."

"Give me an hour, please?" He asked. "I need to clear a few things up and brief Melinda."

"One hour then I'm kicking you out," Clint declared. "Come on Eliot let's go have a beer while he finishes up."

Phil watched them walk out. It was like old times seeing them together and having them band together. He and Eliot had taken it slow and had only been lovers a few months, he knew Clint knew they had progressed to that point because Eliot had told him. In all the conversations he and Clint had over the last six months his relationship with Eliot was never really discussed. They had stuck to their own past and mended their friendship. He'd known the two men talked on a regular basis and sometimes even gotten together without him. They'd fallen back into the easy friendship they always had in no time. 

He called Melinda into the office. While he waited for her, he opened one more folder to look through before signing off on it and locking away anything he'd received from Fury. Fury wanted to tell Clint himself he was still alive and until that time Phil had to keep the former director's existence a secret. It was one secret he knew there would be hell to pay for when it was revealed.

+++

"So you're okay with this?" Eliot asked, handing Clint a beer.

"You know I am. I was the one who told you to go for it. Remember?"

"I know, but this is also the first time you've actually seen us together," Eliot pointed out opening his own beer and pointing to the sofas in the lounge area. 

Once he and Clint were seated together on the sofa, knees bent up facing once another. He reached over and laid a hand on Clint's knee. "You know he still loves you. Just because he and I are together, he hasn't stopped caring for you."

"I know. I see it when he looks at me before he guards his expressions. I'm just not there yet. Besides he's with you and I won't do that to you."

"I know you wouldn't. I also remember how good you and I were together. We could be three?" He suggested planting a seed of thought. He and Phil had talked at length about the three of them together but the time had never been right before to even mention it to Clint. And probably still wasn't, but if he could plant the idea, just maybe Clint could start to get past the last hurdles.

"God Eliot. We always joked about us being a perfect threesome a long time ago. I'm just not there yet. At least where Phil is concerned."

Clint's hand had migrated to his and they twined their fingers together. "You'll know when it is and we'll always be be here for you."

"I know," Clint said quietly.

"Tell me about Tony and Pepper," he asked. He genuinely like the other couple and knew Clint still spent a lot of time with them. He wondered how things were with them, knowing how much they had been there for Clint in the past. He wondered just how much they were there for him now and if that was a hurdle he hadn't anticipated.

Clint laughed. "Pepper is ready to kill us both. Tony is working more than he's sleeping and that isn't making her happy. I send him home to her every chance I can, and I know Bruce has started kicking him out of the lab too."

"So you three aren't..."

"Eliot, we don't have sex," he explained.

"But I thought..."

"In all our conversations in the last six months, I never mentioned what I had with Tony and Pepper wasn't sexual?"

Eliot shook his head. If Clint had told him it didn't sink in but he was pretty sure Clint had never told him that.

"I guess I never did. I know I told you how they helped after Phil... I love them. For how much they helped me and because they are important to me but..."

"It's not the same," Eliot finished.

"Exactly. And I knew when I stepped on the plane to come to Portland that first time that it wouldn't be, and after they helped me through the first initial days of Phil being back... I couldn't have done it without their support. I had to concentrate on getting the rest of the Avengers on board with helping Phil and not killing him. Then we had the science project and the excavation project. And I stayed away to give you two time together. Even though we talked all the time and Skyped."

Eliot nodded at everything Clint had told him. Some of it old news some of it a revelation. He, or maybe Clint, was saved from any more questions when Phil walked in. "Okay. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Standing up, Eliot used their still joined hand to pull Clint to his feet giving him a hug and a quick kiss to the cheek. "Remember what I suggested," he whispered in Clint's ear.

"I will. Have a good time," he called as Eliot and Phil walked out.

+++

Clint laid on the sofa in Coulson's office going over a report Melinda forwarded him to get his opinion on. He actually liked this kind of work although he missed the good old days of planning missions and actually going on them. But he liked this part too.

Phil and Eliot had been gone four days now and while he'd never tell either of them, he'd been getting pictures via text from them independently of the other. His personal favourites was the one of Eliot sitting with his hair blowing around his face playing his guitar, and one of Phil, shirtless, behind the wheel of the sail boat smiling. He was glad they had this time to relax. Phil had definitely needed it and if the way Eliot had been holding his ribs, he'd needed it too, although Clint was pretty sure Eliot would never admit it. 

He was approving several plans for eliminating a Hydra base and recover any loyal SHIELD agents when the office door banged open.

"Where the fuck is Coulson?"

On his feet the minute he heard the door open fingers twitching for a weapon he didn't have, Clint came face to face with Fury. "You bastard," he growled and was across the room and punching Fury.

"Guess I had that coming."

"You think. You fucked with his life and you fucked with our life together and that's all you can say?" He knew Coulson would be proud of him for the level of calm he was keeping and not beating Fury to a pulp and how measured he was keeping his voice.

"How much do you know?"

"Everything. GH-325. Guest House. The effects of the drug. I've seen all the reports."

"You weren't cleared for any of that."

"Maybe you should have thought of that when A, you let Tasha dump all SHIELDs secrets on the internet and B, made my lover, former lover, Director. I got promoted," Clint stated his fingers still twitching near where his leg holster should have been, as he walked over to pick up the tablet he'd dropped when Fury busted in. Keeping a distance from the former Director was a good thing right now.

"Anyone else know?"

"Stark, Banner, Thor, Steve and if I were you I would stay away from Natasha."

"Damit. Where is Coulson?"

"On vacation for a few days with his significant other," Clint informed him.

"Get him back here. I need him."

"No can do," Clint stood firm.

"What do you mean, no can do? Get on the radio and tell him to get his ass back here."

"No, Nick, you'll deal with Melinda May and I. Coulson and Eliot will be back in a few days."

"Don't push me, Barton."

Clint walked forward until, he a few inches away from Fury. "No, Nick. Don't push me. If you go after Coulson you will end up with an arrow through your ass. And that will be from me, no telling what Eliot will do to you. Coulson is taking time off and that's final," he warned. There was no way he was going to let Fury ruin the much needed break Coulson was getting. 

"Fine," Fury growled. "But tell me, why is Coulson away with someone other than you?"

Holding his temper, because he knew Fury was just trying to push his buttons, Clint kept his voice calm and answered, "I wonder, Nick. Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact you lied to me about him being alive and you made him keep the lie. But just because he and I aren't lovers anymore doesn't mean we aren't friends and that I wouldn't do whatever it took to keep him and Eliot safe, even if that means keeping him safe from you and your little games. Now do I call Melinda in here so we can deal with whatever crises you are deeming so important or do you keep trying unsuccessfully to push my buttons?"

"Call her."

Clint turned back to the internal radio, hiding his smile from Fury and called Melinda. Curious as to what was so important to Nick to have him so adamant to find Coulson. Picking up his secure Stark phone he also sent Eliot a text to be on his feet and watch for any threats in the form of Fury going behind his back to get to Coulson.

###

Clint stood in front of the display from the cube otherwise known as Fury's toolbox. He found the file the former director had guided him to and was slowly working his way through it for the third time to make sure he hasn't missed anything when the door to Coulson's office opened.

Turning, he smiled when he saw a very relaxed looking Eliot and and even more relaxed looking Phil walk in. "Have fun?" He asked as he closed the file and pressed the cube down on the desk ignoring Coulson's raised eyebrow, "Fury taught me a few tricks when he came to visit," he said by way of explanation. 

"I see," Phil commented, "he teach you too much more I might have to promote you to Assistant Director."

"You wouldn't dare?" Clint challenged as he walked around the desk to give both men a hug. 

"Watch me."

Ignoring the comment, Clint chose to direct both of them to the sofa to sit down. "Tell me about your trip. The public parts. I don't need a blow by blow," he added, not wanting to hear about them having sex. 

He listened with a smile as they took turns telling him about the fishing and the beaches they discovered along the coastline and the couple of towns they docked in for supplies and a good steak dinner before setting off again. Seven days on the water had done both of them a world of good and now maybe they could continue each of their jobs for a little longer.

"Everything okay here? Bobbie and Hunter didn't try to kill one another? Fitz make any progress with his projects? Skye?"

Clint answered his questions and a dozen more, bringing Phil up to speed on what had happened in his absence. He knew by just how well informed Coulson was that his former lover had probably been getting updates from Melinda the whole time and surprisingly it didn't bother him. He knew he'd done a good job, but he also know he wasn't a hundred percent ready to take over. And really hoped that if Phil followed through with the threat of making him an Assistant Director he'd give him some time to get caught up on SHIELD as it was now versus the SHIELD he'd been a part of.

###

Six Months later

Eliot cleaned up after the post job dinner. It had been an relatively easy job, but that still meant he had to deal with a few people who wanted to stop them from completing their tasks so he was only minorly sore and probably only had a few bruised ribs instead of broken. 

He called Phil before dinner and told him he planned to be out there tonight and he was trying to get through everything for the couple of hours drive out to "the playground" as Phil's base of operation is was affectionately called.

"Need some help?"

Eliot looked over at where Parker had gathered the last of the dishes and brought them to the kitchen. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Going to see Phil?"

"I am. Soon as I get cleaned up here."

"Will Clint be there too?"

"Phil made him a assistant director so I imagine he will be. I think they have something big in the plans," Eliot explained, dishing the left over spaghetti into plastic containers.

"How's Clint with, you know?"

"Clint's fine."

"He doesn't have a problem with you and Phil together?"

"Parker what are you trying to ask?"

"Well he hasn't been around like Phil has and when he has, Phil was never here. So I was wondering if he was okay with things the way they are?"

"Clint comes here when he wants to hang out with just me and drink and play some music. He sees Phil and I together at the base."

"And he's okay with it?"

"What are you trying not to say?"

"It just that I haven't seen the three of you together since that first week and I was wondering if Clint was okay with everything now because he wasn't then," she admitted.

"You eavesdropped?" And when she nodded shyly, he asked, "What do you think you heard?"

"Him upset, telling Tony that it hurt seeing Phil and that it hurt knowing Phil was with you."

Eliot set down the container he had in his hand and walked over to wrap a hand around Parker's shoulder. "I know he was hurting no matter how much he tried to tell me he wasn't. Phil and I talked a lot about it which is why we made it a point to talk to Clint and tell him that he and I were going to get to know one another again before we decided anything and that it was like old times when Phil and I worked together in and out of the Army," he explained. "It gave all of us time to be okay with the way things were. I know how much Clint hurt. We got drunk enough together before and after that we could talk."

"Okay."

"You like him don't you?" He asked and smiled when she nodded. "They both like you too."

"I just don't want to see you hurt. I like this Eliot. You're still you when you need to be but you smile so much more now."

Eliot didn't know what to say so he just wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug, kissing the top of her head. "I'll tell them you said hello."

"You're going to see them tonight?"

"Yeah. I want to be there for both of them while this operation is going on. Phil is sending out his team without him and Clint is directing the whole operation." He watched Parker nod at his statement and wondered if there was more she wanted to ask. "What are you thinking?"

"Well, you like Clint right? As in like, like."

He nodded.

"And Phil still has feelings for him."

He nodded again.

"And Clint. Has feelings for both of you. So... Why don't you... You know."

This time he couldn't help but chuckle. "Phil and I have talked about it. I've mentioned it to Clint but he hasn't been ready for it. The whole Phil lying about being dead hurt him pretty badly and he hasn't been ready to trust Phil that much again. Yet."

"He's getting close though?"

"Yeah. I think so," he admitted. And he really did think Clint was getting closer than he had been before. He just needed the right push to convince Clint to let go and allow himself to give in to what he wanted.

"Good," Parker said with a smile.

Eliot shook his head as she kissed his cheek and took off again. Stopping at the doorway to tell him, "take the leftovers, I bet if they are working that hard they aren't eating. You never do." She was way more perceptive than they usually gave her credit for. And he really couldn't be mad at her for her spying on them. She was looking out for him and wanting to make sure he wouldn't be hurt. Another lifetime he could have fallen for her but she made a good friend and confidant in this lifetime.

###

Clint was exhausted. Standing in front of the large screen displaying the map and the HYDRA strongholds and the small clusters of still loyal SHIELD agents. Tapping one such SHIELD outpost, he went over the list of agents there in hiding. He knew if he moved a few more specialists into place the resident team and the incoming team could take the HYDRA base. He wished he could go, lead the teams. He would feel so much better. He knew all of the younger agents, but they were young and untested in situations like this.

Scrubbing his hand over his face, he felt the stubble. Shaking his head, he figured he might as well go ahead and grow it out considering how often he forgot to shave these days. Tapping the screen again, he looked at some of the other nearby SHIELD outposts and the agents posted there. Shuffling a few around, he put together another slightly more experienced team. It was times like this that he wondered how he let Coulson convince him to become one of his Assistant Directors. 

Rubbing his hand over his head and down to grasp the back of his neck, he stood like that looking at the screen. With a sigh he dropped his hand and shook his head, still staring at the screen. When he felt hands on his shoulder, he automatically dropped his head to rest his chin on his chest and sighed. "Oh God, Phil, that feels so good." Never even questioning that it would be anyone other than Phil behind him massaging his neck.

"You looked like you needed it."

"Don't stop," he said with a sigh. He hadn't realized how tight his shoulders were until he felt Phil start to massage them. Applying just the right amount of pressure to work the knots out. "You do realize this is all your fault."

"How is your neck being tense all my fault?"

"If you hadn't promoted me, I wouldn't be stressing over getting the teams just right so no one gets killed."

"I wanted the best, and you are the best for the job," Phil said pausing, "now come sit down so I can do this properly."

Clint smiled and let Phil guide him to the well worn leather sofa he'd appropriated from some upscale version of Goodwill. He wanted something nice but didn't want to have to break in a new sofa. Sinking down into the well worn leather, he sighed as Phil sat behind him and began to massage the tight muscles in his neck and shoulders but when Phil moved up to to put pressure on the base of his skull, the moan that escaped his lips was borderline obscene and when Phil moved to rub his head and push upward on the temporal muscles was definitely one of pure pleasure. "God, I've missed your head rubs. No one can do it like you."

+++

Eliot watched as Phil and Clint fell into an old long established pattern. He'd been hoping something like this would happen. It would make it so much easier to nudge Clint closer to them. He'd been watching them get closer and closer the more they worked together.

"Now this is a familiar scene," he said with a smile as he walked into Clint's office. 

He saw Clint shift further from Phil, and Phil's smile.

"Hold still," Phil told Clint, "you keep wiggling like that I'm not going to make any progress to ease the tension and the headache I know you have."

"Better listen to him, Clint," he advised as he dropped onto the sofa next to where Clint was sitting sideways. "You know how he gets when he can't finish a task." He smiled when he heard some mumbled words that might have been an affirmative comment, whether it was polite or not, only Clint knew that, but knowing Clint as well as he did, it most likely wasn't polite. 

"Call me crazy, but it's past midnight. Clint's dead on his feet. Phil you aren't much better, and I'm tired from the last job and the drive out here. Why don't we all go curl up together like the old days and get some sleep? What do you say, Clint? Phil will sleep better knowing we're both safe and okay. As will I."

+++

Phil held his breath waiting for Clint to answer.

"I need to figure this out."

"Get some sleep. You can look at it with clear eyes tomorrow," he suggested still rubbing Clint's neck.

"Okay," Clint relented.

Phil smiled and watched as Eliot stood and held his hands out to the two of them. Putting Clint between them, he left Eliot to lead the way up the stairs to the the apartment level.

He stopped in the hallway unsure whether to turn left toward his room or right toward Clint's. Looking at Clint he silently asked with a look.

"Yours. You have a bigger bed," Clint answered. 

Phil half smiled and pressed his hand to the panel to unlock the door.

+++

Clint didn't know what to expect when he walked into Phil's room. In the five months he'd been an Assistant Director, this was the only place he'd never been. Looking around, he saw it was pure Phil. A view screen so Coulson could work "out of office" so to speak also doubled as a window showed a mountain setting. He knew the place. It was the view right outside the cabin the three of them used many times as a safe house. Turning away from that because he could remember so many happy times there with the three of them and with just he and Phil when they wanted to get away, he looked at the shelf where there were copious framed photographs. He didn't want to look too closely at those either. He knew there were photos of he and Phil from a happier time, hell he knew there were photos of the three of them that were even older. Phil was always one to keep photos of people he cared about in his private refuge. And then there were Phil's collectables, some of which he bought for Phil over the years. Most everything he recognized, including the slightly worn quilt on the bed that Phil's grandmother made.

Sucking in a breath, he felt Eliot come up behind him. "You okay?" 

"Yeah," he answered. He wasn't sure though. There were so many memories wrapped up in things in this room. If he hadn't felt Eliot's body pressed against his, he might have turned and left.

"Come on," Phil said motioning him forward.

Following Phil's lead as he always had, he moved forward toward the bed and sat down. 

"I'm going to get us a night cap. Why don't you two crawl into bed," Phil told them.

Clint watched as Phil walked over to a small liquor cabinet. He smiled when he saw him pull out a bottle of Jack Daniels. Undoubtedly Eliot's influence. Phil usually had more sophisticated tastes in whiskey or scotch. Hands on his his shoulder distracted him from watching Phil, turning his head, he smiled up at Eliot. His old friend had already pulled off his shirt and was sliding his hands down his chest unbuttoning his shirt. 

All thoughts of what Phil was doing left as he felt Eliot's hands on him, undressing him. Rough hands sliding over his newly bared skin. He stood and pulled Eliot forward, wrapping his arms around his old friend, breathing in the nutty scent of the shampoo Eliot used, centering himself. When Eliot pushed him back on the bed and started for his jeans, he closed his eyes. Eliot's hands on his body. Memories of nights of fast rough sex. He reached up and pulled Eliot down to him as soon as his jeans were free from his legs. Just as he was about to roll his friend under him, he felt another set of hands on his arm and shoulder. He stopped cold. He'd been so wrapped up in memories of he and Eliot he'd actually forgot Phil's presence in the room. 

Struggling to get up he found himself held in place by Eliot. A few inches shorter but Eliot was no pussy cat and easily kept him from bolting. 

"Relax. We got carried away. Now crawl into bed and curl up with us."

"I can't," he told Eliot, his voice hoarse.

"You can and you will," Eliot stated. "Now drink."

Sitting up, he downed the drink Eliot handed him in one gulp then handed the glass back to Eliot and let him bully him back into the bed where Phil had turned down the sheets. 

"Sleep Clint," Phil told him as he curled against Eliot's body, his back to his former lover. He felt Phil's hand on his hip.

+++

Clint was dreaming. He was in that half asleep was dreaming but he didn't want to wake up. It was too nice, too comforting. He could hear the stream flowing over the rocks. The birds singing. The warm sun. Except. It wasn't the sun warming his body. Clint stayed half asleep but shifted from dreaming to feeling a body pressed behind his. A hard cock pressed against his ass caused him to push back against it. It had been so long since he'd felt the slide of a cock against him, in him. The rough hand caressing his stomach told him it was Eliot behind him. Shifting slightly, he had been focused on Eliot behind him; he never realized he had his hand on Phil's chest, right over the scar just to the left of his sternum. Pulling his arm away quickly he accidentally elbowed Eliot causing him to mutter an "umph".

"Shit sorry," he uttered trying to twist way.

"Hold still," Eliot grumbled, pulling him closer. 

"El..."

"Shut up, Clint."

"I..."

"Shut up and enjoy."

Eliot tugged on his shoulder and he rolled into Eliot's arms, expecting just a hug, but was surprised when Eliot claimed his lips for a gentle kiss. He closed his eyes and just allowed himself to feel for once. He sighed when Eliot pulled back. Opening his eyes, he saw Eliot's smile and reached up to push his long hair back, reaching around to cup the back of his neck as he leaned in and kissed Eliot again. This time Phil's hand on his hip didn't startle him and the gentle caress up and down his side was comforting.

When he pulled back he looked at Eliot and then over his shoulder to Phil. He really didn't know what to make of all of this.

"Don't over think this. You know how we feel about you and we'll accept whatever you are comfortable to give."

He took Phil's hand and kissed the palm. "What if I'm not ready for us, Phil?" 

"Then be with Eliot until you are."

"And if I never am?"

"Then still be with Eliot. And I'll accept it if we can just cuddle."

"It's not fair to you."

"Let me be the judge of what's fair or not, or what I can or cannot handle. It's not like it would be the first time, I've been around you and Eliot being intimate."

Clint smiled at the memory of he and Eliot in one bed trying to be quiet having sex while Phil supposedly was asleep in another bed. "But not in the same bed."

"Maybe not. But if you can handle me being here and touching you or just being close, I can handle watching the two of you together."

"I just don't want to mess up your relationship."

"I think we'll be okay. You know how much I liked to watch you pleasure yourself."

Clint sighed and looked back at Eliot. "What about you? How do you feel about this?"

"You heard the man. Phil and I will be okay. It's not like we haven't talk about this. Talked about you joining us when you're ready. Like Phil said, don't over think this."

He knew when he was beat. He really did want Eliot. He wanted what his old friend was offering and wanted to be close to him again. Wanted to feel again. It had been so long, since before New York when he'd felt hands of a lover on him, loving him. Being with Tony and Pepper was different, it was comfort and healing. Not sexual. "Okay," he finally relented, and allowed Eliot to pull him in for another kiss, this time a deeper one that made him forget his previous reservations.

+++

Eliot smiled, pushed his hair back and rolled Clint onto his back. Leaning up, he first kissed Phil deeply and a little rough before leaning back over and claiming Clint's mouth in a rough demanding kiss, holding Clint in place.

Pulling back, he looked down seeing Clint's dazed look. "I am going to take you apart, piece by piece," declared kissing Clint's forehead then cheeks in turn before claiming his mouth once again. He remembered how much Clint liked kissing and he remembered the more Clint was kissed the more needy he would become for everything else.

Breaking the kiss, he looked down into Clint's lidded eyes and smiled. He really had missed Clint over the years. There hadn't been that many men he trusted enough to be intimate with and Clint, along with Phil, had always been the two he trusted the most. This was almost like coming full circle for him.

Looking over at Phil, he saw his lover smile and nod at him, encouraging him to continue making love to the man they both cared very deeply for.

+++

Phil kissed the top of Clint's head and leaned back against the pillows to watch as Eliot played Clint's body.

He remembered the soft sounds Clint made as Eliot flicked the tip of his tongue over Clint's nipples and the gasp as they were taken into Eliot's mouth and sucked. He watched as Eliot made his way down Clint's body and as he watched Clint move under Eliot's hands and heard his gasp as every one of his hot spots were paid attention to. He realized, maybe for the first time, the extent of their relationship, the sexual and the emotional depth of what it had been all those years ago.

His cock tented his boxers as he watched Eliot slip between Clint's legs and take Clint's cock in his mouth. Eliot's long hair curtained the view, but he didn't need to see Clint's cock sliding in and out of Eliot's mouth. He remembered how it felt to suck the archer’s cocks and how he tasted. Pressing his hand to his own cock, he hoped to stem his own arousal. This wasn't about him getting off watching them. This was about them reconnecting. Leaning away from them, he reached for the lube so he'd be ready to press it into Eliot's hand when his lover was ready for it. 

Looking back at them, he watched as Clint sank his hands into Eliot's long hair, pushing it back and holding it. Looking up at Clint, he saw his former lover looking over at him. He smiled softly at Clint and nodded toward Eliot both of them looking down at him as he pulled off Clint's cock and looked up at them.

"You're beautiful together," he whispered.

Both men reached toward him and he squeezed first Clint's hand and kissed his palm before releasing it to repeat with Eliot's hand. When Eliot made 'give me' motions with his hand, he laid the tube of lube into Eliot's hand. 

Eliot laid his head against Clint's thigh, allowing Clint to push his hair out of the way, Phil watched as Eliot slicked up a finger and slowly inserted it. Knowing he wouldn't be able to see exactly what Eliot was doing, he watched Clint, seeing the expressions pass over Clint's face as Eliot slowly prepared him. He knew the changes in Clint's expression from pure pleasure to slight discomfort and back to pleasure, when Eliot added another finger. And he knew when Clint started lifting his hips and pushing against Eliot's fingers that it was almost time. He handed Eliot the condom he also got when he grabbed the lube. He watched as Eliot slid it on before lifting Clint's hips and pressing in. 

Phil didn't know which one to watch, Clint as Eliot slowly pressed inward, or Eliot as he closed his eyes concentrating on going slow when he knew all he really wanted to do was push in all the way in one swift stroke. He understood that desire. Clint was always tight and he remembered how wonderful it felt to slid into that tight heat. 

A hand grabbing at him, made him look up at Clint. Clint was reaching toward him. He grabbed that hand and held on as Clint squeezed hard. The pleasure maybe mixed with pain, crossed Clint's face. He knew in that moment he was the last person to make love to Clint. Three years ago. Leaning close, he switched hands and used the one Clint first grabbed to run his fingers through Clint's short spiky hair. He held on, whispering nonsense into Clint's ear making him focus on the look on Eliot's face, how beautiful their mutual lover was, encouraging Clint to reach out and touch Eliot. He noticed the change in both of them and knew Eliot was fully inside Clint. He backed away, still holding Clint's hand but letting Clint decide if he wanted to remain holding his hand. Eliot stayed still but leaned down to kiss Clint. 

When Eliot started to move, Clint released his hand and rubbed up Eliot's chest, meeting him thrust for thrust until they were both coming one after the other. As Eliot collapsed down, rolling between him and Clint, he pulled his lover into his arms and kissed him before allowing Eliot to curl around Clint. As he curled around Eliot's back he knew this couldn't be the only time they did this, but he also knew he and Eliot would have to tread lightly because neither of them would want to spook Clint away from them forever.

###

Clint stood in front of the screen; with his tablet he moved teams around, reorganized people and smiled as he pushed send on the orders for changes of assignment and permanent base changes and print on the various forms that needed to be printed for the copious files.

Dropping the tablet on the sofa, he went back to his desk and grabbed his cup of now cold coffee. Looking down at the offending liquid, he set the mug aside and grabbed a bottle of water instead and pulled a folder around and sat down. The delicious burn in his ass had him pushing the folder away. 

Shifting in his seat, he couldn't help the smile that came with another twinge. It felt good. It had been so long since he'd had sex, been made love to, he knew he'd be feeling it longer than normal and he honestly didn't mind that one bit. It had always been good with Eliot and time hadn't changed that one bit. In fact, it was even better and maybe a little of that had to do with the fact that for the last nine, ten, months Eliot and Phil had been lovers. Phil. God. He couldn't believe he'd just had sex with Phil's lover right in front of Phil. 

Phil. 

Eliot had told him weeks ago he would always be welcome to join them. Phil had said as much that morning when he'd dressed and headed back to his room to shower and change for the day. 

It hadn't been horrible to have Phil next to him while he and Eliot had sex. In fact, Phil's touch anchored him while Eliot slowly slid in. Maybe it wasn't about trusting and forgiving Phil anymore. Maybe it was just that he didn't know how to say yes, he wanted to be with Phil again. And Eliot. 

Shoving back from his desk, he made up his mind and he wasn't to be deterred. He'd done one other majorly important thing in his life in just the same fashion.

Walking out of his office and into Phil's, he took the tablet from Phil's hand, tossed it onto the new leather sofa where Eliot sat reading and grabbed Phil by the tie pulling him closer until he could claim his former, maybe not so former, lover's mouth in a deep searing kiss.

"It's about fucking time," Eliot said from the sofa.

"Yes?" Phil asked pulling back.

"Yes. Hell yes. Yes," Clint said as he kissed Phil again and sighing into the kiss when he felt Eliot's arms embrace them both. 

"Do you know what today is?" Phil asked.

Clint shook his head and glanced toward Eliot shaking his head. "No. What?" He asked giving Phil another quick kiss. 

"One year ago today I walked into a pub in Portland and found the two of you."

"Heh," he and Eliot said at the same time. "I didn't realize," he said, smoothing down the tie he'd just rumpled.

"Me either," Eliot echoed. 

"I hadn't either until I picked up my tablet. And there was a reminder."

"Figures," Clint said with a smile.

"Sentimental fool," Eliot added. 

"Should we go get cupcakes from the cafeteria to celebrate?" Clint asked as he finally let Phil go.

"Bring them back here. The teams will be in place in a couple hours and Clint you will be needed for the go order. We can relax a bit before it starts," Phil suggested with a smile.

"Is that what we're calling it these days," Clint teased sitting in the edge of Phil desk. Making sure to touch Phil at every given opportunity.

+++

Eliot tried to read but ended up watching Clint and Phil. He wondered if this was what they were like before. Watching them trying not to be too obvious but every look and every touch had so many more meanings now that Clint had "come home" so to speak the sexual tension was palatable.

"That's it," he declared standing up. "I'm going to go get cupcakes. Meet me back in "our" room," he instructed as he set his book aside and walked out. 

All the way to the cafeteria he smiled. He was looking forward to the three of them being able to finally be free with what they felt for one another. Grabbing two chocolate and one white chocolate cupcake with raspberry icing for Phil, he headed back to their room, ignoring the looks he received from everyone. Although he did manage to hear Skye mutter, "about time," as he walked past. Made him wonder who won the bet.

+++

As soon as the door closed behind them Clint backed Phil into a wall and kissed him. Roughly undoing his tie and shoving the no longer unwrinkled suit coat off Phil at the same time. Buttons went astray as Clint grabbed the edge of the shirt and pulled.

"You're going to have to sew those back on."

"I have new shirts from Pepper every time my dry cleaning comes back. You can have them all," Clint aid as he pushed the t-shirt underneath up and over Phil's head. He'd just pulled Phil away from the door when it opened to let Eliot in.

"Cupcakes anyone?" 

"Maybe we should," Phil tried to say.

"Missed you so damn much. Need you now, cupcakes can wait," he said as he unbuckled Phil belt and pushed the trousers and boxers downward.

+++

Eliot knew they didn't have much time, but he also knew Clint had to slow down or this reunion wouldn't be what any of them hoped for. Walking up behind Clint, he wrapped his arms around Clint and whispered in his ear, "I know you missed him and this has been a long time coming but you need to slow down, make it good for both of you."

He felt Clint take a deep breath and the relaxation settle over him. "You're right," Clint acknowledged.

"Pull the quilt back Phil," Eliot asked and watched as Phil stood and pulled the quilt and sheet back. Reaching for the lube and a condom as well. "I took Clint pretty hard last night. I know he's sore. Do you want to prepare yourself Phil while I undress Clint?”

"Sneaky bastard," Clint told him as he rubbed his hand down Clint's chest. 

"Watch him, Clint," he said as he slowly stripped the button down shirt off Clint and they watched as Phil slide his fingers inside and slowly prepared him. He could tell by Clint’s breathing w aroused he was and when he undid the tailored pants, allowing them to fall to the floor, he pushed the boxers down, stroking over Clint's cock.

+++

Clint watched as Phil opened himself his fingers thrusting in and out of his body. He so wanted to be there, to be opening Phil, but Eliot was right. There was so much he was feeling so much he wanted he wasn't sure he could be as gentle as he knew Phil liked it. He and Eliot, they were the hard and fast, but Phil liked it long and slow although over the years they'd been able to compromise and learn to satisfy each other and take pleasure in what the other liked. Right now though after three years of not being with Phil he wasn't sure if he could give it to him like he liked it. Thank god for Eliot being there and helping them. It just reinforced the fact the three of them would be good together.

Eliot finished undressing him and stroked his cock while he watched as Phil took himself higher and higher. The closer Phil got to being ready the closer Eliot moved them to the bed so he could reach out and touch Phil.

With his hands on Phil's body, touching him, gently stroking his cock he calmed even more. 

"Now, Clint," Phil begged, pulling his fingers from his body. 

Eliot slipped the condom on and knelt behind him as he lined up and slowly slid in feeling Phil's body grip him all tight and very hot. He leaned forward to kiss Phil sighing as he felt Phil's hands running up and down his chest tweaking his nipples while Eliot's hands stroked down his back. 

When he felt Eliot pull away, he looked over and saw Eliot stripping before slipping back in behind him, his cock slipping between his thighs, bumping his balls. The push and pull between sinking into Phil's body and Eliot's behind him made him want to shove forward into Phil and back against Eliot. He felt Eliot grip his hips and slow them down as he leaned forward to kiss Phil. He concentrated on the feeling of Phil hands on his body and not the press and squeeze he was rocking between. His world narrowed to the feel of Phil's hands, Phil's body gripping his cock, and Eliot behind, guiding him keeping him from being too rough. 

He felt Phil's body grip him and spill his release between their bodies. He pushed a few more times before finding his own release. Eliot caught him before he fell forward and helped him roll to the side. Pulling Phil closer, he whispered how much he loved him, how much he missed him and how much he never thought he'd be able to be with him again over and over again. The last of the barriers he'd held in his heart ever since Phil was discovered alive had cracked last night and completely fell away just now.

He grabbed Eliot's wrist as the man he found himself loving as much as he loved Phil cleaned them up. "Thank you."

"For what?" Eliot asked leaning to kiss him gently.

"For not bashing my head in with the obvious, for making sure I was gentle with him," he said nodding toward Phil where he was already starting to doze. 

"I love you both, always have, always will."

"Always have?" He questioned as Eliot tossed the damp cloth away from the bed.

"Always have almost from the moment he introduced us. How could I not love the man who loved him as much as I did?”

Clint pondered those words but before he could get into their meaning, Eliot added, "Sleep. I'll wake you two up in an hour so you can prepare for the go." He nodded and curled closer to Phil and felt Eliot curl up on the other side of Phil. They grasped each other's hand over Phil's heart and it wasn't hard to imagine that this was how they were always meant to be. After all they first bonded over loving the man between them.

+++

Clint had given the "go order" for the operation ninety-minutes ago. He, Phil, Eliot, and their support staff including Skye were standing in the operations center watching on the satellite feed as the teams overtook and reclaimed the SHIELD outpost. Their SHIELD operatives were rescued any Hydra agents were killed or captured. Mop up teams were just moving into place when Phil turned to him.

"And that is why I promoted you," Phil told him pointing to the screen. "Congratulations!"

"Umm, thanks," he said shyly. He really didn't know what to do with that kind of praise in front of so many people. He liked to do this kind of thing behind the scenes where others could take credit for it.

"What was it Stark always told Banner? Time to shine? Well Clint it's your time to shine. You deserve it after all the hard work you put into this mission," Phil praised.

Standing next to Phil he just bumped shoulders with him and looked over at Eliot who spent most of his time during the Op watching him and Phil Eliot had this indulgent, impressed look on his face and gave a nod toward him with a smile. That was high praise coming from him. At least in public.

###

Clint ran his fingers through his short dark blond hair, spiking it up even more as he stood at the window of his former apartment in Stark Tower, looking down over Manhattan. Tapping the cool glass, he thought about the last year. Two years actually. Two years ago, he'd found out Coulson had lied to him and wasn't dead. One year ago, he gave up on the last of his anger and hurt and joined Eliot and Phil in their relationship. This year, as soon as Eliot got home from the job he was on and Phil's Bus landed he had another surprise or milestone for them.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the box that held three identical silver bands. The last year had been wonderful and horrible at the same time while they figured out how to be three when it seemed one of them was always away somewhere else working. Eliot had his people and the brew pub, Phil had his team and while being Director of Shield, it didn't stop him from taking his team out to get the job done and he had the Avengers and his own missions with them. But they had made it somehow and came out the other side stronger than they had been before. Now he wanted to take it one more step further and make the commitment none of them had ever made to each other individually.

"Agent Barton, Director Coulson has arrived on the heliport and Mr. Spenser is coming up the elevator."

"Thanks JARVlS, have them come here before they go to our apartment."

"Very well Sir."

It was time. He was ready. This was a long time coming but it felt right and it was right he be the one to do it. 

The End?


End file.
